Meghalaya: NEHUSU & KSU seek Ministry's clarification on Pro VC appointment

Guwahati: The North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), NEHU unit urged the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to clarify on the appointment of Professors SM Sungoh and Fameline K. Marak as Pro-Vice-Chancellors of NEHU’s Shillong and Tura campuses.

The student bodies also asked the Ministry for the release of an inquiry report on alleged misgovernance at the university.

In a letter addressed to the union minister, the student bodies stated their concern over the fresh appointments of the Pro-VCs, alleging procedural violations.

The student bodies stated that the VC made the appointments without the required approval from the Executive Council, thereby undermining the integrity of the selection process as outlined in the NEHU Acts and Statutes.

They further alleged that the appointments violate Section 3(1) of the NEHU Statutes, which mandates that the Executive Council must approve such decisions based on the Vice-Chancellor’s recommendation.

The student unions further cited a circular issued on November 22, 2024, by Acting Vice-Chancellor Prof. N. Saha, which declared the 14th November order null and void, as it was issued while Col. Singh was on leave. As a result, they asserted that Prof. Sungoh and Prof. Marak’s claims to the Pro-VC positions were baseless.

NEHUSU and KSU also called for the removal of Vice-Chancellor Prof. PS Shukla and urged the Ministry to release the report of the two-member inquiry committee constituted in November 2024 to investigate allegations of maladministration at NEHU.

Moreover, the student body also urged the Education Ministry to address the concerns at the earliest and provide a transparent response to their demands.