VC NEHU warns action against ‘unlawful’ academic council meeting

Shillong, May 19: Vice Chancellor of the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla on Monday warned that appropriate action will be taken if the Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Sherwin Sungoh decides to hold the Academic Council meeting on May 21.

According to him, the “unlawful” Academic Council meeting may jeopardize the degrees of students.

“The decision by the Pro Vice Chancellor to unilaterally call a key meeting has brought to light deeper issues of legality and accountability. Such decisions by the Pro Vice Chancellor risk further administrative chaos and jeopardize the futures of thousands of students and the stability of its affiliated institutions. If the May 21 meeting is held appropriate action will be taken,” Prof Shukla warned.

Terming Prof Sherwin’s decision as controversia and unlawful, he alleged that Prof Sungoh is self declared as in-charge VC under pressure from NEHUTA and she has no legal authority to convene such a meeting under the NEHU Act and Statutes. Any decision of this meeting shall raise questions on students’ degrees.

Earlier, Prof Shukla had officially instructed the Joint Registrar to issue a notice for the adjourned meeting of the Academic Council. However, the Joint Registrar did not carry out this instructure.

In light of this inaction, the Registrar Col Omkar Singh (Retd) issued a notice to convene the meeting on May 23, following proper administrative protocol.

“Despite this, Prof Sungoh issued a separate notice through the Joint Registrar calling for the same meeting two days earlier, on May 21. This action has sparked widespread concern, with many terming it unauthorized and in clear violation of university rules, which state that only the Vice Chancellor has the power to convene an Academic Council meeting,” Prof Shukla said.

He added that several senior faculty members and legal experts have voiced strong criticism, warning that if the meeting on May 21 proceeds, it would be considered illegal. Any decisions made in such a meeting could be challenged in court and may not be recognized as valid. This has serious implications for the functioning of the university. The degrees of the students will be directly affected by this meeting.

Among the concerns raised are the possible delays in announcing examination results and awarding degrees to graduating students. Academic planning for the upcoming session could also be disrupted, including the approval of new courses, revision of syllabi, and scheduling of examinations.

More importantly, the VC said this situation could negatively impact students, particularly those who are planning to apply for higher education or jobs and need their degrees in time. If there is a legal dispute over the meeting, the validity of the decisions taken, including the approval of results, could come into question, which can potentially delay the career progress of thousands of students.

Further, Prof Shukla said that the effects of this controversy could also spread beyond the university campus. NEHU is the affiliating university for many colleges in Meghalaya and neighbouring states.

“If Academic Council decisions are legally disputed, affilliated colleges amy not be able to certify the results of their students or make changes to academic programs. This could als interfere with their accreditation processes and compliance with guidelines set by the University Grants Commission and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council,” he said adding “Several college principals have expressed concern, stating that the current administrative conflict is causing confusing and fear among students and staff. One principal, without naming, said that if degrees are delayed or disputed, colleges will have to answer to parents, students, and government bodies, despite having no role in the internal decision of the university. Students are also anxious as admissions in other institutions are already underway. Any delay in the conferral of degrees or publication of results could have serious consequences for their academic and professional futures.”