Shillong, March 28: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has demanded Professors S. M. Sungoh and Fameline K. Marak to resign from their posts as Pro Vice-Chancellors of NEHU’s Shillong and Tura campuses, respectively. The association claimed that the appointments are illegitimate and in violation of NEHU statutes and government norms.

In a letter to both the Pro VCs on Friday, NEHUTA said it had outrightly rejected their appointments in the month of November 2024 made by Prof PS Shukla, the Vice Chancellor of NEHU, due to alleged violation of procedures as laid down under the NEHU Statute 3 and the Executive Council meeting, where decision of appointment of Pro VCs was discussed, had no quorum. Further, it said Prof. Shukla and Registrar Col. Omkar Singh (Retd.) were on leave when the appointments were made, and asserted that actions taken by these officials during their absence from NEHU headquarters are void, as declared by the former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. N. Saha.

“NEHUTA had outrightly rejected these appointments in the month of November 2024 and since then nothing has changed and we outrightly reject it now as well,” NEHUTA president Prof. Lakhon Kma said in the letter.

The association noted that Prof. Shukla has been absent from the Shillong campus since November 15, 2024, and remains so, amounting to 133 consecutive days of absence. It further said the Inquiry Committee Report on the conduct of Prof. Shukla has not been made public by the Ministry of Education, Govt. of India and therefore he has not been exonerated from the serious charges against him.

“It is more concerning that while all stakeholders have objected to Shukla’s continuance in the post of VC, and also Meghalaya MP Dr. Ricky A. J. Syngkon has raised the issue of the removal of the VC even in Parliament, you are supporting Shukla and legitimizing his illegitimate actions, violations of NEHU Act & Statutes, Govt. of India rules and his anti-tribal and anti-Meghalaya stands that he had amply displayed during his tenure,” Prof Kma further said.

NEHUTA further mentioned that Ministry of Education guideline restricts the appointment of individuals to statutory posts within three months of retirement, a rule it claimed applies to Prof. Sungoh, who is set to retire on May 31, 2025.

“We would like to inform you that we do not recognize such illegitimate appointment of Pro VCs in Shillong and Tura campuses of NEHU which were done in violation of the provisions under the NEHU Act & Statutes; and Govt. of India rules and procedures. It is also important to inform Prof. Sungoh that there are guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education from time to time, which are available with the university, that does not permit a person to hold a statutory post three months before retirement and you are retiring on 31 May 2025. Same guidelines were used by the University with Prof. Saha as the Acting VC as recent as January 2025 for a similarly placed case,” he further said.

In light of these, NEHUTA urged both Professors Sungoh and Marak to resign immediately from the post of Pro VCs, and stated that the association would decide its next steps based on their response.

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