Meghalaya: NESO writes to Union Education minister demanding sacking of NEHU VC

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) has called upon Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to take urgent action over the ongoing crisis at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), demanding the immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor P S Shukla. The organisation, representing eight student bodies across the northeastern states, believes that such an intervention is essential to safeguard the interests of students in the region.

“We have formally written to the Union Education Minister, supporting the demands of the students to sack Vice-Chancellor P S Shukla,” said NESO Chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa. The organisation stressed that the minister’s intervention is crucial to ensure that the quality of education at NEHU and, by extension, in the region does not suffer further setbacks.

The call for Shukla’s removal comes amidst ongoing unrest at the university. The NEHU Students' Union (NEHUSU) and the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) NEHU Unit have been on an indefinite hunger strike, protesting the Vice-Chancellor’s administration and its impact on the university’s performance. The strike has severely disrupted the functioning of NEHU, with students pushing for changes in the leadership.

The NESO has blamed Shukla for the sharp decline in the university’s national rankings, which they argue has negatively affected the institution’s reputation. Under Shukla's leadership, NEHU’s rank has dropped from consistently being in the top 60 to between 100-150, as per recent assessments. This sharp decline in academic standing has been a point of major concern among students and faculty alike.

In a recent development, Shukla convened a meeting of the university’s Executive Committee (EC) via virtual mode. A source close to the VC confirmed that the EC has approved a proposal to investigate the appointments of the registrar and deputy registrar, positions whose "competence" had been called into question by both students and faculty members.

The situation has also caught the attention of state leaders. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, on November 10, briefed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan about the ongoing turmoil at NEHU. Sangma, in a social media post, urged Pradhan to find a “peaceful and amicable solution” to the crisis, reflecting growing political and administrative concern over the university’s leadership.

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