NEIAH postgraduate trainees launch hunger strike over alleged administrative failures

Shillong, Nov. 29: Close on the heels of the hunger strike resorted to by students of the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) recently, postgraduate trainees at the North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Homeopathy (NEIAH) have launched a similar stir since Tuesday over alleged "administrative failure".

The trainees alleged that they have not received their stipend for the last one year.

According to the stipulated norms, all PG trainees assist the doctors on duty and are provided with stipend. The NEIAH, a Central university like the NEHU, operates under the Ministry of AYUSH and is located at Mawdiangdiang.

"We have not been getting our stipend, affiliation, and guide allocations despite assurances made by the authorities for the last one year. There are other issues relating to student facilities at the institute that have not been addressed," one of the agitating students said.

According to officials, the issues cropped up when Dr Neeta Mahesekar was the Director of NEIAH. "She was appointed as the Director during former Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal's tenure. Earlier, she was the Director of a private university at Pune," an official stated.

Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav is the incumbent Union Minister of AYUSH, while Dr Manoj Nesari has been officiating as the Director of NEIAH for the last three months.

The present NEIAH Director is now in New Delhi. Some officials pinpointed the similarity of the situation at the NEHU where the VC has also been constantly out of station.

The official also pointed out that the newly-established North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, has already admitted 30 students, but no teachers are available so far.

- By Staff Correspondent