Shillong, Nov. 16: Union minister for human resource development Kapil Sibal today reportedly said his ministry was helpless on the issue of removal of Nehu vice-chancellor A.N. Rai as President Pratibha Patil had already appointed him to the coveted office.

Sibal met a delegation of Nehu students in New Delhi, under the leadership of KSU general secretary Hamlet Dohling. Others who were part of the delegation included chairman of the Meghalaya Tribal Students’ Co-ordination Committee Kynpham Kharlyngdoh, general secretary of the Nehu Students’ Union Michael Lawai, and general secretary of the Achik Post-Graduate Students’ Union Jimstar M. Marak.

The students met Sibal to express displeasure over the appointment of Rai as vice-chancellor. The other issues were the alleged non-adherence to procedures by former vice-chancellor Pramod Tandon in the selection of members of a search committee and the findings of the fact-finding team.