In the write up by one Temjen Jamir in The Morung Express quite sometime back he gave a one sided opinion of the affairs of the university that it is not difficult to fathom, why, if it is written by the same Temjen Jamir who at that time just newly became part of the N.U non teaching academic staff. Before delving into the details let this be clear that the writer is neither for NUTA or non teaching staff association or the V.C and university officials. Rather all of them should be held accountable for holding the students to ransom and consequently the society at large and for using the students as guinea pigs for settlement of scores. This has been happening every now and then .It can happen again. Sadly the university has become a place for making money for some and for providing employment to some others but not a place or center of academic excellence. It does not belong to a handful few but to the state, region and nation after all it’s a central university. Why is it being treated like personal property? If a comparison is made, Nagaland University will find itself at the bottom of the list of all universities in the country taking every criteria or parameter into account. Even universities established after N.U have gone way ahead in terms of infrastructure, academically and the very purpose for which a university is set up. It reflects poorly on the state and the people running the show. Coming back to Temjen Jamir he was appointed under controversial circumstances. It’s a surprise why NUTA or non teaching association didn’t bring this up. The V.C is a prominent figure in every selection committee. So it reflects negatively on him and the university when such appointments are made in gross violation of all U.G.C norms. People from other universities were extremely surprised hearing that such an appointment was made where the concerned person had not at all been in the university system where it is mandatory to have served in the university set up for a certain number of years besides other criteria before landing such an appointment. It is like a reader or selection grade teacher appointed directly in that grade without taking a single class .Whereas the norm is to be a senior lecturer first where you have to serve some years in that grade. Before that you are appointed as a junior lecturer where you are to serve for six years or four years depending on whether you have PhD or not. Can anyone imagine that? It can only happen in N.U. Why I mentioned all those things about the university before coming to this particular case is because of this very reason. What kind of picture about the university does it portray before the eyes of other people.
Coming to the present, I hope the advertisement in Nagaland Post on 11-8-2009 not just another advertisement (hogwash).All the people cannot be taken for a ride all the time though it may happen for some of the people some of the time. How many time such advertisements are made just for the sake of it. Nothing is transparent. Interviews are either held hush- hush selectively or not conducted at all or postponed on some pretext or the other and finally certain people are appointed backdoor. It has happened even in the teaching posts which were advertised earlier. Another ridiculous thing is that an applicant has to apply for different posts in different application forms which means if an applicant is to apply for three posts a cool 600 rupees is spent. How much money does the university want to fleece from the candidates. Even in the past hundreds and thousands of applicants must have applied without even being acknowledge or called for exams, interview whatever. Do the math and see how much money comes in just in application fees. No questions asked. Everything just smacks of corruption. And lastly what about the fact finding committee report, whatever happened to it. The V.C along with some senior officials of the university was indicted and became front page headlines in the local papers last December. But has things changed? No I don’t think so. There are enough ominous signs that the Nagaland university system is very bad, very wrong. When a university functions in this manner it implies that something is not quite right.
Vihuto Yeptho, Dimapur
