Crisis in NEHU: Students Demand Removal of Vice-Chancellor

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) has called for the dismissal of NEHU Vice-Chancellor P S Shukla, citing a decline in university rankings and ongoing student protests. They urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to intervene. Circulating allegations question the competence of recently appointed administrative staff.

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) has urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to intervene in the escalating crisis at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU). The students are demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor P S Shukla to safeguard their interests.

NESO, a coalition of eight students' bodies from the northeastern states, formalized their stance through a letter to Pradhan, supporting the university students' demand for Shukla's removal. NESO chairman Samuel B Jyrwa emphasized the importance of maintaining education quality in the region.

The ongoing indefinite hunger strike by NEHU students, under the NEHU Students' Union and KSU NEHU Unit, has already affected the university's operations. Allegations against Shukla include a drop in university rankings, with NESO claiming that NEHU plummeted from a top-60 ranking nationally to between 100-150 under his leadership. A recent university Executive Committee meeting has agreed to probe into the appointment of senior administrative staff amid competence concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)