HYC shuts NEIGRIHMS director's office

Shillong: The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) forcibly shut down the offices of the director of the premier central government health institute at Mawdiangdiang in New Shillong, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Nalin Mehta, for his alleged failure to address their demands, which include a 7.5 per cent job reservation for ST candidates in the institute, following their ‘deadline' on Friday.

HYC president Roy Kumar Synrem told the media that a letter to the director of NEIGRIHMS was served on March 24 stating that there was violation of the ST reservation policy and only two seats out of 107 vacancies for the posts of nursing officer had been allocated for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, instead of the mandated 7.5% reservation for STs, which is eight seats.

"Therefore, we demand that you revise the vacancy list to allocate 7.5% (8 seats) for ST candidates, as mandated by law. Ensure strict adherence to the 80: 20 female-to-male ratio, as practiced by AIIMS and other Institutes. Establish exam centres within Meghalaya to prevent undue influence and ensure transparency. Provide age relaxation to candidates, as is customary in cases of delayed recruitment," the HYC letter said.

The HYC asked the director to take immediate corrective action to address the concerns raised by them by issuing an addendum/corrigendum, whichever necessary, within a period of seven days from today and failing which they would "have no option but to organize public protest against the Institute".

The director, meanwhile, has provided written assurance that an examination centre would be established within Meghalaya state and that HLL, a central government-recognised agency, would handle recruitment in the health institution. – MD (04-04-25)