Guwahati: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Friday staged a protest outside the office of the Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge Prof Saroj Kanta Barik over what it termed an “illegal” appointment.
The student body alleged that Prof Barik’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge violated the provisions of the NEHU Act. According to the HYC, the charge should have been handed over to the university’s senior-most professor instead of the second senior-most faculty member.
Questioning the process adopted for the appointment, HYC leaders said the decision was not in accordance with the provisions of the Act and called for immediate corrective action.
The organisation also announced that its representatives would meet Prof Barik to discuss the issue. The HYC said it would decide its future course of action based on the outcome of the meeting.
Prof Barik assumed charge after the Centre approved his appointment following the completion of the tenure of former Vice-Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla on July 26.
In an order issued by the Ministry of Education on July 22, the President of India, in her capacity as the Visitor of NEHU, approved the proposal to appoint Prof Saroj Kanta Barik, the second senior-most professor in the university’s Department of Botany, as Vice-Chancellor-in-Charge until a regular vice-chancellor is appointed.
The order, addressed to the NEHU Registrar, stated that the arrangement was made to ensure continuity in the university’s administration while the process of appointing a new vice-chancellor is completed.