Shillong, December 16 : Prof. S. Umdor, Pro Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), has resigned from his post with effect from the afternoon of December 15, 2025. The resignation was communicated earlier during a meeting with Deans and Officers on December 12, 2025.
Prof. Umdor had been entrusted with full responsibility for the day-to-day academic and administrative functioning of the University for an extended period, during the Vice-Chancellor’s absence from the campus and the State of Meghalaya.
During his tenure in charge, the University continued regular operations, with end-semester undergraduate and postgraduate examinations conducted on time, ensuring the academic calendar stayed on track.
The press note listed several institutional tasks completed in this period, including: Meetings of the Academic Council, Teacher promotions under CAS (Levels 11 and 12), Non-teaching staff promotions through DPC, Operationalisation of a 100-seater girls’ hostel and creation of 24 additional hostel seats, Finalisation of recruitment advertisements for non-teaching staff, Compliance with court directives, Hosting major programmes, including the Smart India Hackathon 2025, aimed at boosting NEHU’s academic visibility and student engagement.
A major challenge highlighted was a 42% cut in UGC recurring grants for the financial year 2025–26. The administration said austerity measures, rationalised resource deployment, and revised examination fees were used to stabilise finances and ensure timely wages for temporary staff.
Among academic milestones cited were: The NEP-UG programme reaching its fifth semester, Revised curricula incorporating internships, vocational components, and MOOCs. CUET-based admissions for affiliated colleges in Meghalaya conducted for the first time.
The resignation statement pointed to repeated efforts to convene Executive Council meetings under the Vice-Chancellor’s chairmanship despite opposition from student and staff associations, claiming this contributed to unrest and worsened the campus atmosphere.
It added that a proposal for the Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Tura Campus) to chair Executive Council meetings temporarily—until stakeholder issues were resolved—was not accepted, though it was viewed as a way to address urgent welfare matters without delay.
The note said routine administrative decisions were increasingly contested, causing delays and disruptions, and linked the prevailing situation to resignations of the Registrar, Finance Officer, and senior faculty members who had taken on additional administrative responsibilities.
Citing a lack of essential support systems and continued uncertainty around key decisions, Prof. Umdor said continuing in office would not serve the University’s best interests or uphold standards of accountability and professionalism expected of the position.
Prof. Umdor thanked colleagues for their cooperation and expressed hope that stability would be restored and NEHU would continue progressing in service of the region and its people.
