NEHU affiliated colleges to implement NEP 2020, says VC; teachers resent

SHILLONG: North Eastern Hill University vice-chancellor PS Shukla on Friday assured principals of all affiliated undergraduate colleges of the university’s support to implement the new National Education Policy 2020, officials said. The university had announced that all affiliated colleges will implement the four-year undergraduate programme as envisaged in the NEP 2020 from the next academic session.

Accordingly, the university authorities had convened a meeting with all college principals who were at first reluctant to implement the NEP 2020 from this year in view of the lack of infrastructure and the need to train the faculty. “The vice-chancellor assured the principals that NEHU will provide them with all necessary support to implement NEP 2020 successfully,” the university said in a statement.

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Under the new policy, students will now have the choice of leaving study after every academic year under the multiple entry and multiple exit provision. A student who wishes to discontinue after the first year will get a certificate, a diploma after the second year, and a degree after the third year, while a student who completes the four-year programme will receive a degree with research, it added. Shukla also informed that all 73 affiliated colleges should make efforts to collaborate with various skill development centres, industries, and enterprises to provide internships to the students. While the principals agreed that the implementation of the New Education Policy is the need of the hour, they assured that they will do everything in their capacity to make it a success.

Meanwhile, the teachers in affiliated colleges of NEHU have written a protest letter to the vice-chancellor accusing him of breaching privileges and powers and disregarding the stakeholders. “Your office has violated all principles of propriety by causing a breach to the privileges, powers and functions of the academic council,” Meghalaya College Teachers Association general secretary SW Rani said in a letter to the VC. “Your method of implementing the NEP 2020 is undemocratic and dictatorial in nature paying disregard to the concerns of the stakeholders,” he added, citing that the academic council meeting did not adopt any resolution to accept NEP 2020 from the upcoming academic session.