Imphal, July 12 2009: Posing a number of questions at the VC and Registrar of Manipur University, the Manipur University Tribal Students' Union, Manipur today asked why MU is adamant on sticking to the 7.5 percent reservation for ST with regard to the admission to various courses, despite the fact that there is a provision for local adjustment, even though MU is a Central varsity.

In a statement issued to the press today, the student body said that even the North Eastern Hill University, chosen by the UGC, as a University with potential for excellence, follows local adjustment and has 50 pc reservation for ST/SC, open category 40 pc, 3 pc for physically challenged persons and 7 pc for educationally backward regions.

Such a policy is also being followed in other Central universities in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, it claimed.

MUTSU also questioned when the recruitment to the posts of Deputy Registrar, Assistant Registrar and Assistant Finance Officer take place.

The student body further questioned when the result of the interview for the post of lecturer in Political Science Department will be declared.

MUTSU pointed out that the result for this has not been declared even though the results of other departments for recruitment of general category lecturers have been declared.

Is it because the post is exclusively reserved for ST category, it countered.

The student body acknowledged the MU authority for announcing special recruitment drive for ST/SC, but however added that it runs counter to what MUTSU believes, said the statement and explained why this is so.

Citing examples, MUTSU said that out of 322 posts, 273 posts have been occupied by general category while ST occupies only 38.The general category is supposed to get only 199 posts, in accordance with the 31 pc reservation norms for STs, it said and questioned whether it is fair that ST should get only 26 posts, as per the recent advertisement.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the system and Manipur Institute of Technology, which is under MU, the student body said that there are 30 faculty members in Group A and two in non-teaching staff while there is not a single ST staff.

In Group C, there are 39 staff among the general category while there are only two ST and two SC staff.

Again in Group in D there are only 4 STs as against 38 .

The student body also questioned on what ground the interview for lecturer in the Department of Physical Education was conducted.

In case there is only one candidate, no interview should be conducted, it contended and a fresh notification should be issued for re-conducting such an interview, said MUTSU.

However after officially conducting the interview, the candidate was declared as a lone candidate and declared null and void.

MUTSU demands that if the interview had taken place then the candidate who faced the interview should be recruited.

Urging the authority concerned to implement their demands within seven days, the student body said that if their stand is not heeded, then they would be constrained to take up further course of action in collaboration with other tribal students' organisations.

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