A two-member inquiry committee, led by Professor DP Singh, former Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), began its investigation at Northeastern Hill University (NEHU) today, Monday, November 25. The inquiry is in response to several allegations made by the NEHU Students' Union and the NEHU Teachers' Association against the university's Vice-Chancellor, Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla.
Sources indicate that the committee commenced its discussions with students and faculty members as part of the ongoing investigation.
This comes after a period of intense protests at NEHU, where students had staged an indefinite hunger strike starting November 4. After 17 days of protest, the students ended their strike on November 20, following appeals from the university's teaching and non-teaching staff in light of the deteriorating health of the protestors.
The students had raised concerns over the administration's lack of transparency and accountability under Prof Shukla’s leadership.
They also highlighted a significant decline in the university’s academic standing, pointing to NEHU’s fall from the Top 100 universities in India since Prof Shukla took office in 2022. This sharp decline in rankings has sparked serious concerns among both students and faculty members.
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing unrest, Prof Shukla is on earned leave from his position. In his absence, Prof N Saha has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge. However, both students and faculty members continue to demand the permanent removal of the current vice-chancellor.
