Students march to Raj Bhavan seeking ouster of Manipur University VC, demand high-level probe into irregularities

A massive protest erupted in Imphal on Monday, November 3, as hundreds of students under the banner of the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) took out a rally to the Raj Bhavan, demanding the immediate removal of Manipur University Vice Chancellor Prof. N. Lokendra Singh and a high-level probe into alleged administrative and recruitment irregularities.

The demonstrators, holding placards and chanting slogans, gathered near the Raj Bhavan around noon, urging the Governor of Manipur, who is also the University’s Chancellor, to intervene in what they described as a “deepening crisis” within the state’s premier educational institution.

Tension escalated when students attempted to advance towards the Raj Bhavan gates but were restrained by police personnel deployed in the area, preventing any breach of the complex.

Speaking to reporters, KSA president S. Bidyananda accused the Vice Chancellor of “gross misuse of power and violation of university statutes and ordinances.” He alleged that favouritism, unauthorized amendments to Statute 19(2), and declining academic standards had tarnished the reputation of the university.

Bidyananda further stated that the VC had allegedly undermined merit-based recruitment, favouring individuals with political or personal connections. The association asserted that large-scale procedural lapses and irregularities have eroded the credibility of Manipur University, once a leading academic centre in the Northeast.

The KSA reiterated its long-standing demand for the formation of an independent enquiry committee by the Ministry of Education and the Governor of Manipur to probe the alleged violations. It also warned of intensified agitation if authorities fail to act promptly on the matter.