Professor S Umdor has resigned as Pro Vice-Chancellor of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), citing an increasingly unworkable administrative situation marked by senior-level exits and growing unrest on campus.
His resignation will take effect from the afternoon of December 15, 2025. The decision was conveyed during a meeting with deans and officers on Friday, December 12.
Prof Umdor had been overseeing both academic and administrative affairs of the university for several months in the prolonged absence of the Vice-Chancellor from the campus and from Meghalaya. His exit comes amid a series of resignations by senior officials, including the registrar, finance officer and faculty members who were handling additional administrative responsibilities.
During his tenure, NEHU faced severe financial stress following a 42 per cent cut in UGC recurring grants for the 2025–26 financial year. Despite the constraints, the university managed to conduct end-semester examinations on schedule and clear long-pending matters such as teacher promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme at Levels 11 and 12, along with promotions of non-teaching staff through the Departmental Promotion Committee.
Several administrative and academic initiatives were also completed, including the operationalisation of a 100-seat girls’ hostel with 24 additional seats, finalisation of recruitment advertisements for non-teaching posts, and compliance with court directives. The university hosted the Smart India Hackathon 2025, carried forward the NEP-UG programme into its fifth semester with revised curricula, and conducted CUET-based admissions for affiliated colleges in Meghalaya for the first time.
However, attempts to convene Executive Council meetings under the Vice-Chancellor’s chairmanship met strong resistance from student bodies and staff associations, adding to the unrest on campus. Prof Umdor had suggested that the Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Tura Campus temporarily chair the meetings to ensure urgent matters concerning students and staff were addressed, but the proposal was not accepted.
In his resignation statement, Prof Umdor said that routine academic and administrative decisions were increasingly being challenged, leading to delays and uncertainty. He noted that the lack of institutional support and clarity on key governance issues made it difficult to continue in office while maintaining professional accountability.
Prof Umdor thanked colleagues for their cooperation during his tenure and expressed hope that stability would soon be restored at the university.
NEHU is now faced with the task of appointing new leadership while addressing the governance issues that have triggered the ongoing administrative crisis.