NEHU staff urges Union Education Minister to restore normalcy at University

Shillong, Feb 13: The North-Eastern Hill University Non-Teaching Staff Association (NEHUNSA) has sought the intervention of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for an immediate resolution to the ongoing crisis at the university.

In a statement issued on Thursday, NEHUNSA president Dr. Wandondor Rynjah Synrem expressed deep concern over the stalemate prevailing in NEHU. He reiterated the association’s appeal to the Union Minister, urging him to take immediate steps to restore normalcy in the university.

“NEHU was established to impart higher education to the people of this region, with the objective of improving the standard of living and contributing to the upliftment of both the state and the country. However, without a proper administration and regular functioning of university offices, this purpose is being compromised,” Dr. Synrem stated.

Highlighting the crucial role of non-teaching employees in the university’s administration, Dr. Synrem emphasized that they are responsible for key tasks such as admissions, student registration, scholarship and fellowship processing, and examination management.

However, he pointed out that the number of non-teaching staff has been rapidly declining, severely disrupting the university’s daily operations. “Despite previous advertisements for non-teaching positions, appointments have been pending, further worsening the situation,” he added.

NEHUNSA has urged the Union Minister to direct the acting Vice-Chancellor to fill the vacant positions in the university, stressing that the current administration is not convening Executive Council meetings—critical for completing the recruitment process.

“As concerned stakeholders, we appeal to you to instruct the acting Vice-Chancellor to take necessary action before the university’s purpose is further undermined. The Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Development’ should not be defeated,” Dr. Synrem asserted.