IT News
Imphal, Oct 27:
National Institute of Technology, Manipur is the prized possessions of the state. It was a huge challenge to establish this institution in the state. The successive ruling Government of Manipur worked very hard to establish it. Even with the giving of permission for establishing the institution, there were problems for not having lands to build the institution and lands disputes were occurred, at last the Government allowed to build the institution at the current address of the Institution which is located at Langol. We all wish the institution to be a complete efficient central institute. But the current conditions of the institution are seen to be worsening day by day. The Special Investigation Team of People’s Action for National Democratic Movement (PANDM) investigates and mentions some of its finding in the following lines.
A statement by Rosnikanta Takhelcha, Secretary IPR, PANDM said that there have been many complaints against the director who is non-Manipuri. In the 2018, the interview of selection of faculty members was not done in NIT, Campus instead it was done in the director’s home state in Kolkata which resulted in complaints against on him by the people of Manipur. Due to complaints against him for not sitting in the office for at least fifteen days in a month, a show cause notice was also issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Dept of Higher Education, New Delhi on 19th May 2020 to give reason for vacating the NIT, Manipur Headquarters for many days without any valid reasons. Specifically, it calls for the reason behind vacating his headquarters on 5th March 2020 to May 2020. The reply of the show cause notice by the Director Prof. Goutam Sutradharna on 24th May 2020 was view by the MHRD Addl. Director General (HE) as an invalid reason so as a results on 15th July 2020, it gave warning for not to do such thing in the future. But all is not well. Still the directors went outside Manipur in the name sake of official duty for many days which renders hardships in the faculty staff and students. As he did not assign proper charge in the day to day officials work, it resulted in the hindering of works which required sanctions.
The Central Government releases adequate funds but DPC for the vacant posts are not being held, instead disregarding whether a person is competent or not, they put up the ones of their choice as in-charge for years. Such action creates an image of the Institute being administered by incompetent officials, although it has many competent ones. For instance, the present Registrar is an in-charge, so is the Assistant Registrar being held by a very Junior Assistant Professor. Many faculty members have been recruited on contract basis, and service extension are being done in a very unjustified manner. A simple M.Tech, non Ph.D, as soon as being recruited as a Lecturer (Teaching Assistant), if the Director wish, it allowed to teach as a Regular Course Co-Ordinator or Instructor for M.Tech classes, although being non-Ph.D. Not only this, but also they are assigned as Guide and Supervisor for M.Tech Thesis and Projects. Many actions are also being done which violates the NIT Act and NISTER Act. An Electrician is even posted as a Junior Engineer (Electrical), in the presence of many qualified Engineers. Such systems cannot be seen in NIT outside Manipur. On this account, the Additional Director General (HE) has ordered to recruit a qualified candidate as the Registrar on 2nd August 2019.
NIT, Manipur is not under the state Government as it is under the Ministry of Education (MoE), previously called Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD). The director does not pay much heed to the directions of the state Government. This is where the meaning of the National Importance is being questioned.
With the presence of well qualified Professor and Associate Professor, the director allows an associate Professor of his choice to held posts in two DEAN, which is also very important department i.e DEAN (Academic Affairs) and DEAN (planning and development) being held by a single person. It is also questionable on the basis of on what extra qualification and extra credibility is the present Dean of the Ladies hostel is being given the post. These actions of favouritism and nepotism create many problems in the institute. On this issue, PANDM has officially sent RTI at NIT, Manipur on 22nd October 2020 and gave a dateline of one week for a reply. In 2016, an Advertisement for the selection of Accountant or Account officers was broadcast but since then no DPC has been done. The present staffs of the A Block are mainly contract or in-charge. This resulted for the lack of dedication in their work
The necessary meeting of the Board of Governor (BOG) and Building Works Committee (BWC) are also not being held frequently. For instance, when BOG sits for twenty times, BWC sits for 13 only: it is known to us and also that the meeting is done mainly through signature by circulation. That makes the concerned members unable to raise their voice. Hence there have been reports on the inability of proper usage of the funds provided by the Central
Government. Although with the availability of proper funds for maintenance and development, the ground of the institute is not being repaired, the passage connecting the building are not repaired, due to the recent floods the conditions of the classrooms are in a heart breaking conditions. There are complaints from the staff for the un-inhabitable conditions of the staff quarters. As the repairing of the Campus and Quarters are not being done, there has been a frequent situation of highly poisonous Lamphel snake being found in the campus. The quarters of the director is at Langol but since, it is not comfortable, the director now lives in the previous Takyel Campus. The incomplete construction of the students Hostels in Lamphel is posing a great problem. There have been reports of causality due to the fall of mess building; water is also being bought from external sources for day to day use due to unavailability
The Finance Committee, Senate Committee and Building Works Committee of the NIT Manipur remain in the name only. Instead of organizing formal meetings, signature by circulation is being done. Board of Governors has now become in-active. The Government and State nominee are present only in the name sake. The PANDM regards that the unjustifiable actions carried out on the basis that the State is ruled by BJP and whatever the ‘Sangha Parivar’ says is final will eventually lead to the destruction of the NIT Manipur into ashes, and will run away from the remains. Concerned authorities are requested to look into this matter as soon as possible.
