MTU in mess in absence of regular registrar: SSUM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 17 2022: While claiming that the in-charge Vice Chancellor of Manipur Technical University (MTU) in collusion with others have made a mess of the varsity in the absence of a regular registrar; Socialist Students' Union of Manipur (SSUM) has drawn the attention of the state government for taking serious note of the wrongdoings within the varsity and initiate appropriate action against the people responsible.

In a statement released by its secretary (Information and Publicity) Salam Iboyai-ma, SSUM said that amidst the many issues plaguing MTU, it has been found that the university did not follow reservation policy, sanctioning funds to an unknown firm having no financial trans actions and exploiting the examination system.

The two universities of Manipur i.e., MTU and Dhana manjuri University (DMU) are under the Higher Education Department.

However, a detailed examination of the reservation percentage for 200 points roster system carried out for recruitment of assistant professors (teacher cadre) and non-teachingstaff for the two universities, found huge discrepancies in the case of MTU.

After SSUM received a complaint about some groups' wrongdoings in the university, the student body investigated the matter in detail and found a huge fault with the system.

MTU was found not adhering to the state reservation policy for ST/SC and OBC categories, thereby depriving the rights of the people, especially the youth belonging to the said categories.

All of the notifications issued by the registrar, who is on deputation to MTU, did not follow the 31 percent reservation of ST and 17 percent for OBC categories, while there was no reservation set aside for Meetei Pangal community at all.

Additionally, the fresh requirement decision of the Board of Management was completely ignored and posts were created.

In this regard, 25 teaching faculty on regular posts and 78 non-teaching staff were appointed, but no candidate from ST category was recruited.

On top of this, only one person from the Meetei Pangal community was recruited via URTA post creation as junior accountant.

The statement continued that the recent advertisement for recruitment of 32 faculty members did not mention any reservation for SC and Meetei Pangal.

All of these can only be regarded as attempts by a group of people, who have intentionally bro ken the rule of law and not only want to destroy the varsity but oppress those from vulnerable communities.

The government's silence on the matter is also highly suspicious.

SSUM strongly condemns such wrongful acts in the recruitment process of an academic institution, which would become a human resource, publicly, the statement maintained.

Questioning the different reservation policy between MTU and DMU; SSUM asked if MTU authority was suppressing and humiliating the vulnerable communities with permission of the government.

It said: "According to the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms on December 27, 2006, any direct recruitment should have 50 percent reservation for UA, 2 percent for SC, 31 percent of ST and 1 percent for OBC, based on the 200-roster points model.

As such, it is questionable whether the registrar of MTU was given the power to disregard the UGC guidelines in direct recruitment of assistant professors, by the former VC.

The incumbent VC of MTU was appointed wrongly and as such Continues to follow the wrong rules.

There is also the question of whether the VC himself is involved in the corruption that is going on in the varsity".

The statement then mentioned that one Huidrom Rully was appointed as the assistant controller of examination of MTU on September 12, 2018.However, after the ineligible VC joined the varsity, the signatures on the admit cards, mark sheets and provisional certificates of the students do not match with that of Huidrom Rully, thereby preventing the students from pursuing further education in other institutions.

As such, the career and the overall future of the students are under serious threat, it remarked while urging the state government to rectify the wrongdoings in the university and take strict action against the people responsible.

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