NEICCUTA throws weight behind Nagaland University teachers

Dimapur, May 29 (EMN): The North East India Confederation of Central Universities Teachers’ Associations (NEICCUTA) has demanded ‘immediate withdrawal of show cause notices’ served to Nagaland University teachers by the Kohima administration.

A statement from the NEICCUTA on Tuesday stated the district authorities or any other government official should know that central universities are autonomous educational institutions which cannot be equated with other departments of the government.

“The NEICCUTA reminds the district authorities of Kohima not to treat teachers of Nagaland University like school and college teachers under state government in matters of assigning them election duties. As Central University teachers, Nagaland University teachers are entitled to their political rights and they can join political parties. As teachers, they are not bound by ‘political neutrality’, which is a precondition for assignment of election duty to a government servant.

“Further various court judgments also made it clear that central university teachers do not hold a job under a government just as they do not hold any public servants’ office,” the statement read. Demanding withdrawal of the show cause notices, it also urged the union minister of Human Resources Development, and the government of India ‘to intervene to get the show cause withdrawn’.

“We also draw upon the kind attention of the Chief Election Commissioner to instruct the state election commissioner to withdraw the show cause notice about propriety and their own jurisdiction of functioning, and not to encroach upon the rights and responsibilities of university teachers.”