Shillong, August 1: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) staged a protest outside the office of the Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge Prof Saroj Kanta Barik over his appointment to the post.
The organisation alleged that Prof Barik’s appointment violated provisions of the NEHU Act, contending that the university’s senior-most professor should have been entrusted with the responsibilities of the Vice-Chancellor.
Questioning the procedure adopted in appointing Prof Barik, HYC demanded that the issue be addressed in accordance with the provisions of the Act. The organisation also announced that its leaders would meet the Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge to discuss the matter before deciding on the next course of action.
Prof Barik assumed charge after the Centre approved his appointment following the completion of the tenure of former Vice-Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla on July 26.
In an order issued on July 22, the Ministry of Education stated that the President of India, in her capacity as the Visitor of NEHU, had approved the proposal to appoint Prof Saroj Kanta Barik, the second senior-most professor in the university’s Department of Botany, as Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge until a regular vice-chancellor is appointed.
The order directed the NEHU Registrar to hand over the responsibilities to Prof Barik after the expiry of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor’s tenure to ensure continuity in the university’s administration while the process of appointing a permanent Vice-Chancellor is completed.
