Four key stakeholders of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) have jointly called for the resignation of the Pro Vice Chancellor of the Shillong campus, alleging that the institution has slipped into a state of complete administrative paralysis due to prolonged inaction and unfulfilled assurances.
In a joint statement issued late on Monday night, December 15, the NEHU Students’ Union, NEHU Teachers’ Association, NEHU Non-Teaching Staff Association and the Khasi Students’ Union’s NEHU unit said Pro Vice Chancellor S. Umdor has failed to translate earlier commitments into action. These assurances were reportedly made by representatives of the Union Ministry of Education in the presence of members of the Executive Council and were aimed at restoring stability, transparency and normal functioning at the university.
The signatories said the continued absence of tangible steps has only prolonged uncertainty on campus, leaving students, faculty and staff increasingly disillusioned with the administration. They further expressed concern over the recent resignations of the Registrar (in-charge) and Finance Officer (in-charge), alleging that both officials were compelled to step down due to undue pressure from Vice Chancellor Professor P. S. Shukla, who has remained away from the Shillong campus.
According to the statement, Professor Shukla has not been present on campus for over a year following protests related to alleged mismanagement and irregularities. Although officials from the Centre were deputed earlier to look into the allegations against the Vice Chancellor, the four bodies said the absence of any decisive outcome has worsened the leadership vacuum at NEHU.
The organisations noted that the university is currently functioning without a regular Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Finance Officer or Controller of Examinations, a situation they described as institutional disability that has severely disrupted both academic and administrative processes.
The ongoing crisis has also reached the national stage, with Shillong Member of Parliament Ricky Syngkon recently raising the issue in Parliament and seeking intervention from the Centre.
Holding the Pro Vice Chancellor’s office responsible for implementing the assurances and ensuring effective governance, the four bodies said that continuing in the post under the prevailing circumstances was no longer tenable. They urged Pro Vice Chancellor Umdor, who took charge in June this year, to step down to allow an alternative administrative arrangement in line with institutional norms.
The appeal, the statement said, was made in the larger interest of restoring trust, administrative stability and democratic functioning at North-Eastern Hill University.
