Student Unions Urge Meghalaya Governor to Intervene in Deepening Crisis at NEHU

Representatives from the North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), NEHU Unit, met Meghalaya Governor C.H. Vijayashankar on Monday to voice serious concerns over the ongoing administrative vacuum, financial distress, and prolonged secrecy surrounding a key inquiry report at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU).

The delegations highlighted that the Union Ministry of Education's failure to release or even acknowledge submission of an inquiry report—commissioned on November 14, 2024, to investigate allegations of mismanagement and administrative lapses—has intensified uncertainty and unrest on campus. The two-member committee visited the university, reviewed documents, and received a 15-day extension on November 28, 2024, but the report remains undisclosed despite the passage of over a year.

NEHUSU General Secretary Martin Warjri told reporters that the Ministry's continued silence has severely damaged the university's reputation. “Students once took pride in being part of NEHU. Today, the institution frequently makes headlines for protests rather than academic achievements. This stems from years of unresolved grievances and a lack of accountability,” he said.

In a memorandum presented to the Governor, the student bodies outlined four primary demands:

- Immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla.
- Appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor in accordance with NEHU Statutes.
- Public disclosure of the Ministry's inquiry report.
- Concrete measures to alleviate the university's acute financial crisis.

The students emphasized a critical leadership vacuum following the Pro Vice-Chancellor's resignation on December 15, 2025, leaving NEHU without a functional academic or administrative head at its Shillong headquarters. They referenced Statute 2(A)(5) of the NEHU Statutes, which details procedures for managing such vacancies, and called for swift compliance.

Compounding the administrative paralysis is a sharp financial squeeze. The university's non-salary budget for 2025-26 has been reduced from ₹153 crore to ₹131 crore, triggering widespread austerity measures. These include 25% cuts to departmental allocations, reduced funding for seminars and academic events, scaled-back hostel maintenance and library resources, suspension of guest faculty hires, delayed honorarium payments, and layoffs of security personnel and other staff.

Warjri noted that the absence of decisive leadership has directly impacted students, delaying fellowships, scholarships, academic approvals, and postponing events such as youth festivals, inter-college debates, and other programmes.

Governor Vijayashankar acknowledged the limitations of his role in university governance but assured the delegation that their concerns would be conveyed to the relevant authorities.

The student leaders expressed frustration with the Ministry of Education's apparent neglect of central universities in the Northeast and criticised the state government's lack of engagement. They mentioned ongoing efforts to secure meetings with ministers to advance their demands.

Warjri indicated that the unions' executive committees would evaluate any official responses before deciding on further actions, which could include escalated protests.

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