Shillong, Nov 16: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the NEHUTA, NEHUNSA and NEHUSU has decided to suspend its indefinite strike as Vice Chancellor Prof PS Shukla sought five days to examine the charter of demands including the removal of the technical officer/senior consultant.
JAC chairman Prof Lakhon Kma said, “We have decided to temporarily suspend our agitation and from tomorrow classes will resume, teaching staff can take their respective classes and non-teaching staff can go back to their respective offices.”
The NEHU bodies had a meeting with the VC.
He said the decision was taken after the VC had requested five days’ time to address all demands made by the JAC which includes termination of Rohit Prasad as technical officer/senior consultant of the university.
The VC has agreed to form a committee to address the issue related to the marking system besides the hostel facilities and health care.
“The VC left it to the students to select a chairman who will head the committee to look into the demand to revisit the marking system of the university,” he said.
The VC also assured to address the demand to appoint statutory officers and University Engineers and to relieve teaching and non-teaching staff from ministerial duties.
Kma said the VC agreed to form a committee which will be decided by the Academic Council (AC) to review the educationally backward areas quota.
“The VC promised the JAC that the next AC meeting will be held in the first week of December where most of these issues will be discussed and a decision will be taken for the same” he said.
On the inclusion of students as members of the academic council, NEHUSU general secretary Banpynbiang Riang said the VC agreed to allow the students to decide on the member who will represent in the council.
“On the demand to hold convocation, the VC informed that this year the university could not organise as it still awaits the response from the President of India whom the University had invited as this year marked the 50th Anniversary of the NEHU” said Riang.
Riang said the VC assured that from next academic year, there should be a calendar event for the university to hold convocation every year.
