IGNTUSU rallies against apathy of varsity
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 10 2018: Students of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) Regional Campus Manipur organised a mass rally from Kanglatongbi Keithel to the University's campus today demanding the authority concerned to address the myriad of issues plaguing the University.

It may be mentioned that the students had locked the IGNTU Regional Campus since May 3 after the failure of the authority concerned to address the shortcomings faced by the University despite numerous appeals to the University's VC as well as other officials concerned.

Speaking to media persons, IGNTU Regional Campus Manipur Students Union general secretary T Wanglar said that the Government established the University, under IGNTU Amarkantak, in 2009 with the aim of providing facilities for pursuing higher studies and researches by tribal students.

IGNTUSU rallies against apathy of varsity

However, the significance of the University is now in namesake only, he claimed and added that the University is filled with various shortcomings like lack of proper reservation policies for tribal students, presence of only guest faculties for Tribal Studies and Sociology Department of the University (despite permanent faculties for MA Social Work, MA Political Science and MCA) as well as lack of proper facilities to pursue PhD for the said two Departments.

Over and above the said issues, there are no proper quarters for the staff, students' hostel, faculty rooms, computers etc.

Wanglar alleged that instead of properly utilising the annual funds sanctioned for the University, the funds sanctioned by IGNTU Amarkantak is being utilised only for running the University for its namesake.

He further informed that despite numerous appeals by the students, the authority concerned has been neglecting the issues thus forcing the students to lock the University since May 3 .

Until and unless the University's VC Professor TV Kattimani personally come and inspect the issues plaguing the University, the students will continue the protest, he added.

On the other hand, IGNTU students union publicity secretary Isaac Songate said that this is not the first time the students of the university have protested against the attitude of the authority.

The university was closed for a whole month sometime last year.

The students decided to close the institution again due to the lack of proper attention by the authorities concerned, he added.

He further conveyed that the students union has also boycotted the planned entrance test (which was scheduled for May 5 and 6) for various Departments of the University despite the lack of proper infrastructure.

The union will not allow any kind of entrance test and will continue its protest unless the VC himself comes to a proper agreement regarding the issue, he added.

On the other hand, he condemned the attitude allegedly shown by the Director of the University Professor Ramjeevan Singh Thakur instead of hearing the plight of the students and demanded immediate removal of the Director for using harsh/offensive words against the students.

The students who participated in today's rally carried placards containing slogans like 'Respect tribal rights', ' 'Go back Director, we are students not militants', 'VC stop nepotism' etc.