Meghalaya: Education panel grills NEHU leadership amid mounting allegations

A two-member inquiry committee dispatched by the Ministry of Education has intensified its investigation into alleged administrative failures at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, conducting extensive consultations with key stakeholders.

The high-powered committee, comprising former University Grants Commission chairman Prof D P Singh and former Assam University vice-chancellor Prof Dilip Chandra Nath, spent hours hearing grievances from students, teachers, and staff representatives.

NEHUSU president Sandy Sohtun revealed that student bodies presented comprehensive documentation detailing alleged administrative misconduct by Vice Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla over the past three years.

"We've made it unequivocally clear that Prof. Shukla's return to the university is non-negotiable," Sohtun emphasized, underlining the collective stance of student organizations.

North Eastern Hill University Teachers' Association (NEHUTA) president Prof Lakhon Kma echoed similar sentiments, presenting what he described as "comprehensive evidence" of systematic institutional deterioration under the current leadership.

The inquiry committee's mandate covers critical areas including controversial appointments, precipitous university ranking declines, infrastructural neglect, and alleged administrative unresponsiveness.

Multiple campus constituencies—including the Khasi Students' Union and non-teaching staff associations—have united in demanding comprehensive administrative reforms and leadership change.

The committee's findings are expected to have significant implications for NEHU's future governance and institutional integrity.