SHILLONG :North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) president Prof Lakhon Kma on Wednesday clarified that he is not eligible for appointment as the next Vice Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), putting to rest speculation surrounding his possible candidature for the top post.
Speaking to reporters in Shillong, Prof Kma said there should be no confusion regarding his position and stated that he does not fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria laid down for appointment as Vice Chancellor under existing norms.
“I have nothing to hide, according to the rules, I am not eligible to become Vice Chancellor because the requirement clearly states that a candidate must have completed ten years as a professor,” he said.
Prof Kma explained that he was appointed as a professor only in 2017 and would become eligible for the post after completing the mandatory tenure requirement.
“I became a professor in 2017. I will be eligible only after completing ten years. So, for now, my name can be removed from the list of aspirants for the VC post. People need clarity on this,” he added.
The clarification comes at a time when discussions have intensified within academic circles over the appointment of the next Vice Chancellor of NEHU, one of the premier central universities in the Northeast.
The tenure of incumbent Vice Chancellor Prof Prabha Shankar Shukla is scheduled to end on July 26 this year.
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Recently, the Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education issued an advertisement inviting applications for the post of Vice Chancellor. According to the official notification, the Vice Chancellor, being the academic and administrative head of the university, is expected to possess “the highest level of competence, integrity, morals and institutional commitment”.
The advertisement further states that applicants must be distinguished academicians with a minimum of ten years’ experience as professor in a university or ten years’ experience in a reputed research or academic institution with proven academic leadership.
Prof Kma also asserted that he would not support any move that violates the established norms governing appointments to the university’s highest office.
“As the president of NEHUTA, I will not support anything that goes against the rules. I am in no hurry because I still have many years left in the university and I enjoy my work as a teacher,” he said.
He also stated that the teachers’ body, along with students and non-teaching staff, would continue to work collectively to ensure that NEHU gets a capable and competent Vice Chancellor.
“We all want the university to move forward in the right direction. The priority is to ensure that NEHU gets a deserving and capable academic leader,” he said
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