The Pro Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Prof S Umdor, has resigned from his post with effect from the afternoon of December 15, citing the prevailing administrative crisis at the university.
In a statement, Prof Umdor thanked all concerned for their cooperation and support during his tenure and expressed hope that stability would be restored at NEHU to ensure its continued progress.
“Given the prevailing situation—marked by the absence of essential support systems and continued uncertainty surrounding key institutional decisions—it was felt that continuing in office would not serve the best interests of the University or uphold the standards of accountability and professionalism expected of the position,” he said.
His resignation comes amid sustained administrative turmoil at NEHU, including the absence of key officials and strong opposition from students’ and staff associations. Despite the crisis, Prof Umdor highlighted several achievements during his tenure, such as the successful conduct of end-semester examinations, completion of teacher promotions, and the hosting of national and international academic programmes, including the Smart India Hackathon 2025.
He also pointed to major financial challenges faced by the university, particularly a 42 per cent reduction in UGC recurring grants for the financial year 2025–26. “Through austerity measures, rationalised deployment of resources, and revision of examination fees, efforts were made to stabilise the University’s finances while ensuring timely payment of wages to temporary staff,” he stated.
Other key developments during this period included the progression of the NEP-UG programme into its fifth semester, introduction of revised curricula with internships, vocational components and MOOCs, and the conduct of CUET-based admissions for affiliated colleges in Meghalaya for the first time.
However, Prof Umdor noted that repeated attempts to convene meetings of the Executive Council under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor—despite strong opposition from students and staff associations—had contributed to unrest and vitiated the campus atmosphere. He added that suggestions to allow the Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Tura Campus) to chair Executive Council meetings temporarily were not accepted.
“These circumstances have led to delays, disruption, and have also resulted in the resignation of the Registrar, the Finance Officer, and senior faculty members who had voluntarily taken on additional administrative responsibilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NEHU Students’ Union, NEHU Teachers’ Association, and other bodies had earlier demanded Prof Umdor’s resignation, alleging administrative paralysis and failure to address key issues.
“The responsibility to uphold assurances and ensure effective functioning rests with the Pro Vice-Chancellor’s office. Continuation in the post is no longer in the best interest of the university,” the statement from the organisations had said.