Imphal, May 02 2009: The incumbent Manipur University Students' Union (MUSU) has no legal or constitutional validity, said Chancellor PN Srivastava who was at the University to attend the MU's court meeting held yesterday.

Talking to media persons at Hotel Imphal yesterday, PN Srivastava said that it did not matter much whether a university has a students' body or not.

Saying that there were many universities without student bodies, the Chancellor asserted that should student's bodies exist they should be conforming to the statutes, acts and ordinances of the university.

Quoting recommendations of the Lyngdoh Commission, he said that representatives of students' body should be elected but not appointed.

A students' union is a training ground for future MLAs, MPs and politicians, he remarked.

Chancellor Srivastava said he had stopped giving recognition to student bodies such as the present one since two/three years back.

Observing that Manipur University students' body should be formed in proper way at the earliest, Srivastava conveyed that he asked the Vice-Chancellor to form MUSU strictly according to relevant statutes.

Although Manipur University should have 220 faculties, 58 of them are currently lying vacant.

Saying that he has perused academic records of 2006-07 and 2008, the Chancellor remarked that academic condition of Manipur University was impressive.

Though small in size, Manipur University has been giving scholarships and fellowships to 180 students from the Central Government and central agencies, he observed.

Around 60 students have been engaged in projects ranging from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 50/60 lakhs in project costs.

"This is really encouraging", he remarked.

"Not only in the field of academic, Manipur University is very much strong as compared to other universities in culture, sports and other extra-curricular activities", he observed.

Saying that university is an important of the society, he asserted that teachers, students, faculties and parents should check what was happening in the university.

Expressing satisfaction over the pace of infrastructure development work, the Chancellor confided that efforts were on to make Manipur University 100 percent residential in view of the law and order condition.

"Infrastructure development work seen in MU is only about 50 percent of what is required.

Being a central university, it needs more infrastructure", Srivastava said.

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