Guwahati: Vice Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya, Prabha Shankar Shukla officially resumed office on Monday from Delhi.
According to reports, the VC contacted the acting Registrar, informing him that he had resumed his duties, but would remain in Delhi for official work from March 3 to 5.
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The NEHUTA of Meghalaya expressed anger over Prof. Shukla’s claim of resuming duties on Monday.
“In over fifty years of NEHU’s existence, no one has claimed to resume duty virtually after taking earned leave, as Prof. Shukla has for the past three and a half months,” NEHUTA President Lakhon Kma said.
Kma accused the VC of violating the NEHU Act, Statutes, Ordinances, and Government of India rules, despite his responsibility as the university’s custodian.
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“Despite taking repeated earned leave without resuming his duties, his claim to have resumed office is out of line, as he remains away from the headquarters. An inquiry into his actions at the university is ongoing, and he was advised to remain on leave until the inquiry report was released,” Kma added.
Kma described the claim as misleading, asserting that it ignored university rules and procedures, particularly concerning a VC whose wrongdoings had led to the inquiry.
Notably, after Prof. Shukla went on leave until November 29, Nirmalendu Saha, the senior-most professor, assumed the role of Acting Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Shukla’s leave application, submitted via email to the NEHU Registrar, stated he was taking Earned Leave from November 17 to November 29, 2024, with the possibility of extension due to unavoidable circumstances.
Since then, Prof. Shukla has extended his leave multiple times, each citing unavoidable circumstances.