Shillong: Student leaders at North-Eastern Hill University hit the ground running Monday. They handed newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Prof SK Barik a reform roadmap on his first day. The students want an immediate review of high-level appointments made under former Vice-Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla.
Martin Warjri, general secretary of the North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU), confirmed the move. The union demands scrutiny regarding the Registrar-in-Charge and Finance Officer-in-Charge positions. Prof Barik promised to bring these issues before the Executive Council. The students want action.
The five-point charter covers several failures from recent years. Students demanded the return of annual convocations, which the university skipped repeatedly. Prof Barik pledged to organize a convocation by December. He listened as representatives detailed the staff shortages affecting both faculty and administrative support. The union urged faster recruitment for permanent teachers and guest staff to fix the broken academic function.
Better campus internet is also on the list. The union demanded better Wi-Fi and a faster admission process to stop the delays that plagued recent semesters. Members from the Khasi Students’ Union, the KSU NEHU Unit, and local Dorbar Shnongs backed the student demands. They also raised the status of the Integrated Teacher Education Programme.
Warjri noted that the administration seems ready to listen. The union wants to move past the turmoil of the previous era. As Warjri stated, “As our motto says, ‘Rise and Build,’ we hope to work together with the new Vice-Chancellor to restore NEHU’s academic excellence and administrative stability.”
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