DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 30 (MExN): The Naga Hoho has written the Nagaland State Governor, who is also the Rector of Nagaland University, expressing concern at the quality education in the university.
The Naga Hoho, in its press note stated that “a poor choice was made in appointing the Vice–Chancellor and it still continues.” It alleged that “in the appointment, personal loyalty got the better of more relevant considerations like competence, academic eminence and personal integrity. The result has been disastrous and till now we are paying the consequences.”
The Naga Hoho lamented that even after 22 years of existence, Nagaland University is “unable to attain its height as a Central University at par with other progressive Central Universities.” It said that the NU over the past 10-15 years was “pressed down with many unhealthy issues of financial misappropriation by the institutional heads resulting in a series of agitations and removal of VC and officials of the University on corruption charges.” It further stated that the “university had experienced years of CBI inquiry and some other investigated cases are still pending while some officials have been removed, some have left after their tenure.” It further expressed concern at the sub-standard infrastructural development in the three campuses, and lamented that the university is yet to have a strong academic foundation/environment.
The Naga Hoho expressed surprise to learn that “for the past 4-5 years NU has been surrendering plan money (yearly plan for university development) allocated for development in spite of underdevelopment of the university, the latest being 1.69 cores surrendered during the 9th Aug 2016 Finance committee meeting.”
“This speaks volumes of incompetency on the part of the university and consequently many colleges in the state have better infrastructure than NU. Besides, the current trend of heavy employment from other states particularly from Manipur and Assam in NU points to obvious sidelining of the hundreds of local qualified unemployed youth in the state,” it alleged.
Stating that the Vice Chancellor “can make or unmake a university,” the Naga Hoho urged the Governor to “salvage” the university at par with other progressive universities in the country. “We strongly urge that the new VC appointment should be without any bias and political interventions,” it said.
t stated that a person of “high moral integrity, an eminent academician with reputed credentials, a non-political appointee, a person who understand and can work for the upliftment of the Naga people and for their high quality educational development and social development in general.”
The Naga Hoho stated that in the past few tenures “we have had VC’s who do not understand the mentality of the people of the region and thereby the academic as well as overall development of the University have brought to a standstill.”
