KOHIMA, April 3 � The continued crisis in the Nagaland University (NU) was taken up for discussion in the Budget session of the Nagaland Assembly recently.
Replying to a question raised by Opposition MLA C Apok Jamir on the stand of the State Government over the continuous imbroglio in NU, Minister for Higher Education Dr Sh�rhozelie Liezietsu said a Cabinet Sub-Committee had been constituted in December 2009 to help resolve the problems leading to persistent agitations by employees of NU since its inception.
Stating that the Sub-Committee has already had a series of meetings with the Vice Chancellor as well as members of the NU Teachers Association (NUTA), he informed the House that the final stand of the State Government on the matter will be formulated after receiving the Committee�s recommendations.
On being queried, the Minister said the State Government had not taken up the issue before the President of India during her official visit to Nagaland this month.
Raising supplementary questions, Apok said the issue has been going on for too long and all must put their minds together to resolve it as students� are the ultimate sufferers. He also asked whether there was any specific time frame for the Cabinet Sub-Committee to submit its report.
The Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on NU crisis and also Minister for Planning and Coordination TR Zeliang informed that there is no specific time frame. He also said that NU is an autonomous and Central institute and, as per UGC Act, the State Government has no role and cannot take any action, adding that it is for the President, the Visitor, and the Governor, who is Chief Rector of the University, to take action.
Nevertheless, he said since the affair is of the State and concerns the students of the State, the Government had entrusted the Cabinet Sub-Committee to find a solution. He informed that they have convened a joint meeting on March 23 last at Lumami which the NUTA declined saying that they have submitted a representation to the President during her visit to Nagaland and are awaiting response. Therefore, he said the Committee met with the VC and a group of Deans, but stated that they would still like to meet the NUTA. He further said the Committee has asked the teachers not to take up any more agitations.
