North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Vice-Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla asserted on Tuesday that the principals of 75 colleges affiliated with the university were content with the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020). He further stated that none of the principals had officially reported any difficulties in implementing the four-year undergraduate courses in their respective institutions.
This statement follows the ongoing ‘non-cooperation’ movement led by the Meghalaya College Teachers Association (MCTA), a state college teachers’ umbrella organization, which is demanding the rollback of the NEP 2020.
According to Shukla, a meeting with the principals of all affiliated colleges took place on July 21, 2023, during which the majority expressed satisfaction with the implementation of NEP 2020. The university had not received any official communication from any of the principals regarding difficulties in implementing the policy, he added.
Shukla refuted the MCTA’s claim that the NEP 2020 had been implemented in a “dictatorial” manner without proper consultation, stating that discussions had taken place within the Academic Council and that a task force had been constituted to address the matter.
The university also highlighted that NEP 2020 had been implemented for postgraduate courses since the previous year.
However, MCTA Secretary Airpeace Rani, part of the delegation that met with the NEHU VC, expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. The ‘non-cooperation’ movement will continue until the matter is resolved in the next Academic Council meeting, scheduled for late October or early November. The MCTA’s main demand is the revocation of the July notification, which was not approved by the Academic Council.
According to MCTA leaders, many colleges lack the necessary infrastructure and trained teachers to deliver the NEP 2020 syllabus. In response, the NEHU VC assured that the university would assist colleges in addressing their deficiencies.