Manipur: Minister appeals to protestors to call off stir

25 July 2018:

Manipur Education Minister Thokchom Radheshyam made an earnest appeal to the agitating bodies, student organisations and all other stakeholders to call off the present stir at Manipur University so that the academic atmosphere in the educational institutions of the state could be restored.

Radheshyam urged all the stakeholders to help in the declaration of results of the 6th semester examination for the sake of students and their welfare.

The Minister sought people’s support, especially, from the parents, teachers and students in this regard. He also urged the agitating bodies to allow conduct of regular classes in Manipur University, colleges and schools, and also to let the admission procedures begin.

Radheshyam said that the issue relating to the demand for removal of vice chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey of Manipur University had seriously affected the academic atmosphere of different educational institutions.

He said Chief Minister N Biren Singh had already raised the issue with the Prime Minister, the Union Human Resources Development Minister and other high-ranking officials.

Stating that there had been responses from the MHRD in consideration of the demands raised by MUSU and MUTA, Radheshyam said that the matter would be probed by a committee headed by a retired acting Chief Justice.

He informed that about 93 colleges were currently affiliated to Manipur University. With a total strength of about 82,000 students suggesting that there are about 27,000 students in each year of the three-year under-graduate degree programme. Students who passed the 6th semester which may number about 20,000 are expected to go for higher studies at Manipur University and other universities, he said.

The Manipur University has a strength of about 3000 students which suggest that its intake capacity annually is limited to about 1500 students, the Minister said adding that the balance of students are expected to seek admissions for further studies in different universities of the country.

Radheshyam also said that the delay in declaration of the results of students who have taken the 6th semester examination is limiting the option of pursuing higher studies and is expected to create a grave situation in the future management of higher education in the state. In case, a backlog is created of such huge numbers, it will be critically challenging for the authorities involved in the management of higher education in the future, he pointed out.

The Minister said that the state government was also taking up steps for the initial functioning of Dhanamanjuri University from the current academic year. He appealed to allow the Dhanamanjuri authority to continue with the admission procedure so that the functioning of the new university was not affected in infancy.