Students rally demands NRC before census
'NRC proposal will be moved for discussion in Assembly'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 20 2026: A large number of college and school students staged a protest demonstration today in support of the demand for updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before commencement of the census exercise.

They also condemned the Government's decision to keep schools and colleges closed from August 20 to 22 .

The students first gathered near THAU Ground at Thangmeiband and attempted to march towards the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

However, security personnel stopped them at Khoyathong, leading to a brief confrontation between the two sides.

Students rally demands NRC before census

Later, security personnel allowed a delegation of 10 students representing DM College of Science, Manipur College, CC Higher Secondary School, Johnstone Higher Secondary School, Nambol Higher Secondary School, TG Higher Secondary School, Ibotonsana Girls' Higher Secondary School, Ramlal Paul Higher Secondary School, Modern Higher Secondary School and Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School to meet Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh.

Commissioner of Education Ningthoujam Geoffrey and Director of Education (S) Ng Bhogendra Meitei also attended the meeting.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister's Secretariat said that a delegation of students representing 10 schools and colleges met the Chief Minister at the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Imphal today and demanded that the NRC be implemented in Manipur before the Census.

The students urged the Chief Minister to press the Centre to order the implementation of the NRC in the State before the census, saying illegal immigrants should be identified through the NRC exercise before the population count is conducted.

The delegation also urged the Chief Minister to reopen educational institutions and demanded that the issue of implementing the NRC be discussed in the forthcoming session of the State Assembly.

The Chief Minister assured the students that the Government would move a proposal to discuss the implementation of the NRC in Manipur during the ensuing Assembly session, which is scheduled to begin on September 2 .

He also informed them that the State Government supports implementation of the NRC in Manipur.

The Chief Minister, however, said two issues needed to be addressed-conducting the NRC exercise and ensuring its error-free implementation.

After meeting the Chief Minister, Thokchom Lalit, a student of DM College of Science, told the media that students from various schools and colleges across Imphal staged the protest against the closure of educational institutions and to demand the updation of the NRC .

He said that they urged the Chief Minister to adopt a resolution in the upcoming Assembly session to defer the census until the NRC is updated in Manipur and mount pressure on the Centre to endorse the decision of the State Assembly.

He said the Chief Minister assured them that the issue would be discussed in the upcoming Assembly session and that the resolution adopted by the House would be conveyed to the Centre.

Lalit also said that the Chief Minister assured the students that all Census-related activities would be halted across the districts of the State.

He said the Chief Minister also showed them orders directing the suspension of census-related activities in some districts.

According to Lalit, the Chief Minister informed the students that a Cabinet meeting would be convened on Monday to discuss issues related to the NRC and census and adopt a resolution in line with the aspirations of the people.

He, however, said that the students would continue to stage various forms of protest until the State Assembly passes a resolution that is acceptable to the people.

Lalit also said that the students urged the Chief Minister to revoke the order directing the closure of educational institutions.