NIT in crisis again as director leaves to join Assam institute


Shonaam Tabri DADA

YUPIA, Jun 08: The fight of students’ unions to have a regular director for National Institute of Technology (NIT) here appears to have been in vain with Dr Rajiv Kumar Garg quitting to join NIT Silchar in Assam on Thursday.

Heeding the demand of the students, the Ministry of Human Resource Development had appointed Dr Garg as Director of NIT Yupia five months ago. His departure has raised many an eyebrow.

In a statement to the Capital police, Dr Garg said he resigned for personal reasons. His colleagues and NIT staff said he quit because of family issues and poor functioning of the institution.

But the minutes of the 20th meeting of NIT’s Board of Governors (BoG) held at the AICTE conference room in New Delhi on April 13 said he had received threat calls, as did the registrar in-charge and other faculty members.

The minutes also said the threats made it difficult for the institute’s functionaries to work freely within or outside the NIT campus. There were also complaints about unknown outsiders entering the campus and trying to assault teachers and staff or warning of dire consequences.

Most of the faculty members are from outside the State, and administrative officials of the institute say it will be difficult to retain them under such circumstances. “If steps are not taken, NIT will be finished. Even the students living in rented hostels are feeling unsafe with unauthorised people barging into the campus and assaulting them,” the minutes said.

Students from different parts of the country have been temporarily accommodated at Urban Development Housing complex at Lekhi village as the permanent NIT site is yet to be completed. Some students are also renting some houses.

The BoG meeting was attended by AICTE Chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Dr Garg, Under Secretary (Finance) Department of Higher Education, MHRD, and Registrar in-charge Dr MK Shome along with other representatives from IIT Guwahati and some colleges.

“Dr Garg called me before leaving the State on Thursday. It was a mere formality,” Dr Shome told The Arunachal Pioneer.

“NIT is a brand and a director’s resignation does hurt the institution. We come to teach the students irrespective of state. But it is human nature to resign when things turn for the worse,” he added.

Dr Shome said there has been no response yet to an advertisement seeking a new director for NIT Yupia.

“The process of admission for the new academic session is on. Without a director, it will be hard to execute any official work. We will intimate the State government after the departure of Dr Gard and request for a new director,” he said.

“We will be shifting to NIT’s permanent site as soon as the entire infrastructure is in place,” he added.

All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union President Hawa Bagang rued Dr Garg’s resignation. He said the union has written to Chief Minister Pema Khandu demanding investigation into reports of corruption in the institution.

“We have sought a special investigation committee to find out the reason behind the director’s resignation and corruption within the institution. The State Home department is dealing with the demand,” he said.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (retd) Dr BD Mishra on Wednesday met HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar at his office in New Delhi, taking up the issue of a regular director for NIT Yupia.

The Union minister promised to complete the process of the appointment of a director.

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