SHILLONG, Nov 26: A two-member committee from the Union Ministry of Education visited the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Meghalaya to investigate allegations of mismanagement and administrative failure, following protests by students that have been ongoing for over two weeks, officials said on Tuesday.

The committee, consisting of former UGC Chairman DP Singh and ex-Vice Chancellor of Assam University Dilip Chandra Nath, met with leaders of the students’ union, faculty members, and non-teaching staff on Monday.

Lakhon Kma, president of the NEHU Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA), expressed satisfaction after the meeting, stating that both committee members had listened attentively to the concerns raised by faculty, students, and non-teaching staff. “We said what we had to say, there was nothing to hide. Whatever issues have been raised by NEHUTA, the students, and non-teaching staff have been put before the committee,” he said.

Among the key issues discussed were allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process and promotions within the university, which have been attributed to Vice-Chancellor PS Shukla. The protests, which led to a complete lockdown of the campus, prompted the university administration to place Vice-Chancellor Shukla on leave until November 29.

Kma also emphasized that, regardless of the inquiry’s outcome, the return of Shukla to the campus would be “unacceptable.”

Students’ leader Sandy Sohtun highlighted that the student body had submitted copies of memorandums sent to the Vice-Chancellor since 2022, detailing their grievances. Sohtun noted that the committee held a discussion with the students for over an hour, during which they presented the actions and decisions of Shukla over the past three years.

In addition to the meetings, the committee also conducted an inspection of NEHU’s infrastructure, including the health centre, library, hostels, and campus roads.