Aggrieved students lock Edn(U) office
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 20 2025: Disgruntled by acute shortage of teachers, undergraduate students locked the office of the Directorate of University and Higher Education at Nityaipat Chuthek and staged a sit-in protest in front of its gate today.

The stir was launched by undergraduate students of colleges affiliated to the Manipur University under the aegis of the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) .

In a memorandum, DESAM president Mayengbam Somorjit submitted to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla seeking his intervention, the students' alliance said there are more than 430 vacant posts of teachers at colleges affiliated to Manipur University.

It urged the Governor to direct the Department of Higher and Technical Education to expedite the recruitment process through the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) for all the vacant posts in Government colleges.

Any further delay in the recruitment process will severely disrupt the academic functioning of the higher education institutions, it added.

It further urged the Governor for his intervention to ensure adequate teaching manpower and infrastructure before the commencement of the Honours with Research 4-year undergraduateprogrammes.

It further urged the Governor to form a joint monitoring committee involving the Directorate of University & Higher Education (DUHE), affiliating universities, and student representatives to oversee the implementation of the 4-Year Undergraduate Programmes.

The lack of adequate teaching staff in Government colleges has now reached a severe point, making it impossible to smoothly commence the 4 Year Honours and Honours with Research courses as mandated under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, said the DESAM in its memorandum.

The Government of Manipur has not conducted regular recruitment of college teachers through the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) .

The last recruitment was conducted in 2018.Since then, there has been no large direct recruitment, and many faculty members have retired, leaving behind around 700 vacant posts.

This severe hostage of teachers is severely affecting the academic and administrative functioning of the Government colleges, DESAM said.

Under the National Education Policy 2020, all undergraduate programmes are to be restructured into a 4-Year Undergraduate Framework (FYUP).

The 4th Year, covering the VII and VIII semesters, is to be introduced from the academic session 2025-26 .

However, due to the acute shortage of faculty and inadequate infrastructure, most colleges are unable to implement this policy, DESAM stressed.

Despite repeated appeals, the authorities concerned have not yet taken up any steps to effectively implement the Honours with Research programmes.

This negligence has caused deep concern among the student community, it said.

On November 21, 2022, as many as 362 teachers, including Assistant and Associate Professors under the Directorate of University and Higher Education (DUHE), were bifurcated and transferred to Dhanamanjuri University.

This left numerous vacant posts in affiliated Government colleges under Manipur University.

On February 7, 2024, to compensate for the loss of 362 teachers, the Department of Higher and Technical Education approved the appointment of 164 Assistant Professors on a contract basis in Government colleges, with a promise that the vacant posts would soon be filled via recruitment through MPSC within six months.

This assurance given to DESAM through the then Education Minister has not been fulfilled yet, it pointed out.

DESAM then urged the Governor to intervene and ensure immediate initiation of the recruitment process for more than 430 vacant posts, "which have been unjustifiably kept on hold by the administrative department" .

Comment