'HRD Minister nods for early upgradation of IGNTU-RCM to a full-fledged Central varsity'
Source: The Sangai Express
Kangpokpi, June 21 2017:
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development has reportedly given a green signal for early upgradation of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University- Regional Campus Manipur (IGNTU-RCM) into a full-fledged autonomous Central University today.
The green signal was given by Union Minister, Prakash Javadekar after meeting with the representatives of ATSUM, IGNTU Students' Union and other student bodies today at the State Capital where the tribal student bodies submitted a memorandum for the upgradation of IGNTU-RCM to a full-fledged autonomous Central University.
The student delegates also raised issues such as regular faculty appointments and reservation at Manipur University.
Seiboi Haokip, general secretary, ATSUM said that the Union Minister gave us assurance for early upgradation of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University- Regional Campus Manipur (IGNTU-RCM) into a full-fledged autonomous Central University during the meeting.
He said that the students' bodies had a deliberate discussion on the reservation issue at Manipur University and regular faculty appointments with the Union Minister.
The students' leaders, in a representation, pointed out that due to its distance from the main University Campus in Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh and other crucial factors, the administration and development of the regional campus of IGNTU here to its full potential is severely limited and has been so from its very inception.
While several memoranda and representations have been submitted to both the State and Central Government including the University authorities to correct this lacuna, very little has changed or been done toward that end.
It further said that after taking into consideration all options available, it has now become apparent that the only way to solve this lacuna and to enable the campus to attain its full potential in the holistic development of the tribal people in particular and the nation building process in general is to upgrade it to a full-fledged Autonomous Central University at the earliest."
While highlighting the issue of appointment of regular faculties for the Department of Tribal Studies and Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology at the campus, the student bodies conveyed that the Department of Tribal Studies and Department of Sociology & Social Anthropology at IGNTU- RCM currently function with three guest faculties each without any permanent faculties.
It also pointed out that the guest faculties engaged for the two departments have to go through an interview board after every two semesters.
ATSUM and IGNTU-SU (RCM) apprised the Union Minister for appointment of the six current guest faculties of the two said departments as permanent faculties at the earliest, preferably within June 2017 .
Meanwhile, the student bodies also highlighted the plight of the non-teaching staff at IGNTU-RCM.
It said that more than 70 % of non-teaching staff in the campus are engaged purely on temporary basis and all of them with a monthly pay below Rs 10000.Out of these, two have been engaged for more than 7 years continuously without any break in their contracts.
However, there have been no changes in their status or any initiatives taken up by the University to do so.
While highlighting the pending Schedule Tribe (ST) reservation for admission and employment at Manipur University, it said that so far there has been no concrete change in the reservation status of ST in the University and leaving this issue in abeyance will certainly lead to another serious problem in the near future.
The Central Government and University Grants Commission directives to implement the CEI (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Act 2012 should be strictly adhered to.
Recurrence of incidents like the that of October 24, 2016 and its violent aftermath should be avoided, it added.
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