Shillong: Students of Meghalaya's North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) called off their indefinite strike on November 8 against the appointment of A.N Rai as the vice chancellor after Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said he would take up their demand with the central government.

The Meghalaya Tribal Students Coordination Committee (MTSCC) and NEHU Students Union (NEHUSU) have demanded that a local should head the varsity.

Meghalaya Tribal Students Coordination Committee (MTSCC) Chairman Kynpham Kharlyngdoh warned that the students would intensify their agitation if the demand was not met.

Although the state government has a limited role in the appointment of vice chancellors of central universities, Sangma said that the state government would take up the students' demand with human resource development ministry to find an amicable solution.

President Pratibha Patil appointed Rai, former vice chancellor of Mizoram University, as the vice chancellor of NEHU on the recommendation of the search committee headed by Abid Hussain, former Indian ambassador to the US.

The other two members of the committee were R. Chidambaram, principal scientific advisor to Prime Minister's Office, and former chief election commissioner James Michael Lyngdoh.