HRD officials, CM, MU bodies discuss MU impasse
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 14 2018: Officials of HRD Ministry as well as various stakeholders, including Manipur University community, held a meeting at the Chief Ministers' Secretariat today in connection with bringing an amicable solution to the impasse at Manipur University, which has crossed more than two months, as a result of the demand by MUSU, MUTA and MUSA to remove the VC Professor Adya Prasad Pandey and to conduct a high level enquiry against him.

According to an official source, following numerous meetings between Chief Minister N Biren Singh and the agitating bodies (MUSU, MUTA and MUSA) for bringing a solution to the university issue, the Government sent an invitation to the associations concerned yesterday, for a meeting at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, which also involved officials from the HRD Ministry.

The said invitation, which was sent by the Secretary to the Chief Minister, Ningthoujam Jeoffrey, urged MUSU, MUTA and MUSA to participate in the meeting which was supposed to be held at 9 am today.

However, the meeting began from 2 pm, the source informed and added that the meeting Was participated by Higher Education Secretary R Subramanium from the side of the HRD Ministry, Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his council of Ministers from the side of the State Government and leaders of MUSU, MUTA and MUSA.

During the meeting, the agitating bodies brought up many demands including immediate removal of AP Pandey from the post of MU's VC, immediate enquiry by a high level committee, removal of the UGC and HRD officials from the enquiry committee led by former Acting Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court T Nandakumar Singh, inclusion of a retired VC in the enquiry committee etc.

The associations also demanded that the leave given to Prof Pandey should be linked to the enquiry to be conducted against him.

The source further informed that the agitating bodies made their stand clear that they would sign an MoU with the authorities concerned to abandon their protest only after the Government and the HRD Ministry take up necessary steps to transform the associations' demand into action.

After hearing the demands brought up by the agitating bodies, the State Government and the HRD officials assured to do the needful so as to bring an end to the impasse, the source conveyed.

However, an immediate relief to the ongoing imbroglio at Manipur University is not in sight, the source claimed.

It may be mentioned that MUSU launched various forms of agitation, including lock shut of MU Administration Block, from May 30 demanding removal of AP Pandey from the post of VC and a high level enquiry against him for alleged fund misappropriation and other charges.

Accusing the State Government of negligence and inaction, MUTA and MUSA eventually joined the protest thus resulting in a complete halt of almost ail academic activities concerning the university.

The impasse at the university led to failure to declare the results for the 6th semester examination of college students and also brought a complete halt to MA examinations in the State.

In connection with university issue, the HRD Ministry issued an order on July 12 leading to the constitution of a two men enquiry committee to investigate the charges levelled against the VC.

However, the university community declined to accept the said committee reasoning that the committee would not be able to investigate the charges in free and fair manner.

Following the opposition from the university community, the Ministry issued another order on July 17 inducting former Acting Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court T Nandakumar into the committee.

However, the move still failed to strike a cord with the agitators as the initial two members of the committee still remained unchanged and as such, even though many days have passed since the reconstitution of the committee, it has not be able to lay foot inside the university till date.

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