HYC demands action against NEHU VC, scrap ‘illegal’ recruitment to NT posts

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 19, 2021

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has demanded the scrapping of the recruitment process for non-teaching posts under outsourcing and action be taken against NEHU vice chancellor Prof SK Srivastava for flouting the rules.

In a memorandum submitted to the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, HYC general secretary Roy Kupar Synrem said, “… (we) demand that such a recruitment process needs to be revoked and scrapped as it violates all the extant recruitment rules and Govt of India circulars and guidelines.

We request your kind and urgent necessary action in scrapping the irregular recruitment process at NEHU.”

Synrem alleged that the NEHU VC had initiated illegal steps to fill up vacancies of non-teaching posts in the University numbering about 35.

He also alleged that Prof Srivastava, through the Executive Council of the University, of which he is the Chairman, decided that the University shall “outsource” the recruitment process of these non-teaching posts.

He said NEHU, as a central university, has recruitment rules for appointment of qualified candidates in non-teaching posts, none of which support such an arbitrary and un-statutory proposition of ‘outsourcing’, which is not only unprecedented, but also in total contravention of recruitment rules.

Recruitment rules assign the responsibility of the entire selection process on the University and its Authorities. It does not allow for outsourcing of recruitment, under no circumstances.

As Prof Srivastava, going by circular issued by MHRD vide letter  F. No. V. 11014/11/04-CDN, dated 19-7-2004 does not have the power to conduct recruitment and further MHRD letter F.No.19-58/2014-Desk (U) dated 7th August, 2014 clearly stated that “an officer appointed to perform current duties of an appointment can exercise administrative or financial power but he cannot exercise statutory powers, whether those powers are derived direct from an act of parliament..”.

Falling under the scope of these circulars and directives, Prof Srivastava is neither entitled to conduct any recruitment nor entitled to outsource the recruitment process.

“Therefore, the resolve to outsource is in violation of relevant rules.

We further apprehend total foul play, manipulation and transparency, if such an illegal and irregular ‘outsourced’ recruitment process is carried out by the VC, who is debarred from exercise of any such power under law,” he said.

According to him, this irregular process amounts to denying fair opportunity to job seeking tribal qualified candidates of the State by way of outsourcing.

“Our apprehension is borne by the fact that NEHU, even before taking the decision on outsourcing in its Executive Council, had put up tender notice asking for expression of interest by interested parties who can undertake the task of recruitment as an outsourced agency. This shows how from the very beginning the recruitment process is manipulated by Prof Srivastava. Now the advertisement is removed from NEHU website, confirming our apprehension and suspicion that in the fear of getting exposed, the advertisement for outsourcing is removed silently,” Synrem stated in the letter.