IMPHAL, July 16: The Manipur University Teachers Association has in a press release announced to go on mass casual leave on August 1, 2013 as decided by the MUTA executive committee on July 11, 2013 against the University Authority especially Prof. H.N.K. Sharma, the Vice-Chancellor for his manipulation in the constitution of 3rd Executive Council (EC) of Manipur University and non fulfilling of several demands of the Association.
So far as the constitution of 3rd EC is concerned, there were dishonour of the proceedings of MUTA by deviating from the tradition/convention followed for more than 33 years in the history of MU, but also misused the office of the Chancellor by misinforming the Association by Prof Sharma himself that Chancellor desires to have six names as against 3 names submitted by MUTA Office, it said.
In fact, the VC misled the general public by giving press briefing that he has not done anything wrong and done everything as per University Act. Such act of deceiving the public is unethical, condemnable and unbecoming of a VC of an institute of higher learning. So, his claim is unacceptable to MUTA, it further said.
Furthermore, Prof. Sharma declared in the press that he has been trying to fill up the statutory as well as non-statutory posts since 2010-2011, but no qualified applicants were found further adding then sitting idle for the last more than 2 years instead of advertising for every six months and promising to start the process of filling up of the posts shortly when things started appearing in the media are all self explanatory excuses of his autocratic style of functioning and non-committal to his duties, it added.
Moreover, there is no question of advertising and recruiting the position of Pro Vice- Chancellor (PVC), as the senior most professors is normally/traditionally appointed as the PVC, because Prof Sharma himself was also the PVC earlier by virtue of being the senior most professor at that time. However, now even after nearly two years of assuming office of the VC, Prof. Sharma fails to fill up the position of PVC by following the same norm, in spite of repeated requests and ultimatum dateline of June 30, 2013 given by MUTA. Because Prof Sharma himself knows best that by appointing the PVC, his unilateral decision making, autocratic functioning and ad-hoc running of the institute, without raising a single finger, will be hampered. And for the same reason he is not trying to fill up all the positions by advertising regularly, it concluded.