Exam boycott
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 08 2013: To highlight absence of basic infrastructures in Government colleges, including non-appointment of regular Principals and dilapidated conditions of toilets, college students are likely to boycott the Manipur university-conducted semester examinations scheduled to commence from May 22 .

Speaking to newspersons at GP Women's College today, convenors of Coordination Committee of College Students' Union, Manipur namely Okram Premjit, Lucy yumnam and Elangbam Sobhamani informed that a 19-point charter of demand related to quality education in Government colleges has been submitted to the Education Minister M Okendro today.

Pointing out that most of the demands contained in the latest intimation to the Government were similar to those pursued by the college students since around 2009, the convenors regretted that inspite of repeated missives no concrete measures had been taken up by the State authorities till date.

The main points mentioned in the charter of demands include appointment of regular principals, separate toilet blocks for male and female students with sufficient water, provide uninterrupted power supply, appointment of regular director of higher education, ensure seminar and laboratories buildings/blocks as specified by the University Grants Commission, equip libraries with books/literatures as per syllabus of an academic year, etc.

Conveying that absence of regular principals in Government colleges is detrimental to the academic interest of the students, they contended that some teaching staff members unwilling to implement instructions of the in-charge principals had been a cause of concern for the students as prescribed syllabus are seldom covered/completed in a calendar year.

While many of the Government colleges are deprived of separate male and female toilets some of their colleagues fortunate enough to get such facility the problem of water insufficiency or complete absence has been a common issue in these institutions with students in 'emergency' situation forced to use papers or pieces of cloth to maintain hygiene, detailed the convenors.

similarly, almost all these colleges have library blocks but poor equipment and out of syllabus literatures had been diluting purpose of setting up such essential components, they said.

Strongly lamenting callousness and indifferent attitude of the Government inspite of repeated reminders to improve the academic atmosphere in colleges, the convenors insisted that in case there is no positive response to the charter of demands handed today to the Education Minister at the earliest, the Committee will boycott the forthcoming semester examinations of BSc, BA and BCom conducted by the MU.

Comment