NEIGRIHMS seeks CAPF deployment after mob breach

Shillong: The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) has urged the Central government to deploy adequate Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) within its premises in response to increasing security threats.

NEIGRIHMS is a super-speciality healthcare facility. Members of the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC), a pressure group in the eastern part of Meghalaya, stormed the office chamber of Director of NEIGRIHMS, Dr. Nalin Mehta in protest against the job recruitment of nursing officers in the institute.

In a letter to the joint secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday, NEIGRIHMS Deputy Director (Administration), Pawan Deep, said the deployment of CAPF at strategic and vulnerable points within the institute would enhance safety and ensure the smooth functioning of the Institute.

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“The deployment of CAPF personnel will significantly bolster security measures, deter potential threats, and provide effective management of similar situations,” Deep said.

In the letter, Deep also referred to an earlier communication on April 9, which discussed the appointment of nursing officers at NEIGRIHMS in a female-to-male ratio of 80:20.

He said the institute had received objections to this recruitment policy from two pressure groups — the HYC and the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU).

The HYC lodged a formal protest on March 24 against the institute’s recruitment advertisement published on January 22, 2025, and issued a seven-day ultimatum to comply with their demand.

However, Deep said due to fiscal year-end processes, public holidays, and the time required to gather supporting documents, the institute was able to issue a formal response only on April 4.

The same day, members of the HYC along with a mob of approximately 50-100 individuals forcibly entered the administrative block of the institute, raised slogans, and forced staff to vacate their offices.

Deep said the chief security officer of NEIGRIHMS said that this was not an isolated event, as similar disturbances by HYC and other groups have taken place in the past.

“Comparable incidents have also been reported at other central institutions in the region, reflecting a broader pattern of security challenges,” Deep said, adding that most of the current security personnel deployed in the institute are outsourced, unarmed, and lack the specialized training necessary to handle such high-risk confrontations.

In response to the incident, Deep said an FIR has been registered against HYC at the nearest police station. 

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