The appointment of ‘outsiders’ to lead centrally funded higher education institutions in the Northeast has raised concern among the region’s academics.

Currently, there are a total of 28 centrally funded top academic institutions in the eight states of the Northeast and most of them are headed by ‘outsiders’.

The central education institutions include one IIT, eight NITs, three IIITs, one Central Institute of Technology, nine central universities, one central Agricultural University, one NIPER, one  NERIST, one IIM, one NIFT and one Medical Science institute.

“It is very deplorable how academics from Northeast are systematically deprived by appointing and bringing in people to head these institutions of the region,” a faculty member of  Tezpur University said requesting anonymity.

He claimed a strong anti-Northeast lobby is working against the scholars and academicians from the region.

He alleged that many outsiders, who lack expertise, were appointed to head institutions.

Although eligible candidates were available from the region for the post of Director of IIT Guwahati, after the retirement of Prof Gautam Barua as the head of the institute, they were not even short-listed for interview, the faculty member said.

Similarly, despite having eligible candidates from the region, a new Director of IIT Manipur was appointed last year from South India, who doesn’t have any experience in the IIT/IIIT/NIT system, he said.

Prasenjit Biswas, who teaches philosophy at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong said, “As per as central universities are concerned, the selections should be on the best-qualified candidate on a national basis.”

“The central government has its own perspective in choosing a person so there comes a bit of politics or a nature of political appointment” Bi added.

He further said that as per UGC rules, high moral integrity and academic calibre are required for selection.

“Now on the ground, it may not be following in every case but in certain cases, it is followed,” Biswas added.

Akhil Ranjan Dutta,  a professor at Gauhati University said, “When the Gauhati University was established in 1948, there were discussions to appoint a vice chancellor from outside the state. But it was Mahatma Gandhi and other senior leaders’ advice that it would be appropriate for a university of a particular state or region needs to be led by a person from the region itself who understands the culture, demographic composition, literary tradition, intellectual tradition and so,” Dutta said.

“Of late, particularly with the establishment of the central universities, the VCs have been appointed from outside the states in both central as well as state universities. This has been because of the political orientations and not because of any academic merits,” he said.

Dutta said that in a similar case, there was a lot of resistance when one such VC was appointed at a university in Manipur.

“In my opinion, a vice chancellor should be appointed based on academic merit and commitment to education as well as greater social needs from within the state or the region,” he added.