AMSU rallies for full-fledged DM University
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 24 2022:
All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) on
Saturday took out a rally demanding the government to develop DM University to a full-fledged
university in tune with the changing times before
setting up of other universities.
The rally participated by students began from
AMSU head office and passed through Thangmeiband, Manipur State Legislative Assembly
and staged sit-in protest at Panthoibi Mandap
located at Thangmeiband Maisnam Leikai.
The students held placards inscribed with slogans such as "Stop politicising education", "Make
DM University a full-fledged university", "Resign
Education (U) commissioner and director" and
"Appoint regular registrar".
Speaking on the side lines of the rally, AMSU
general secretary Bikramjit Thongam compared
the present education system of the state to a
person asked to run with an excessively heavy
object.
Brilliant students had been produced
from DM College of Science, Arts, Commerce,
GP Women's College and LMS Law College and
they are also one of finest colleges in the state.
After passing The Dhanamanjuri University Bill,
2017 on August 3, 2017 by Manipur Legislative
Assembly and it became an Act on April 6, 2018,
the colleges formed the DM University with the
stated aim to provide higher studies in general
line.
Everyone was delighted to have a university
formed with amalgamation of the five reputed
colleges of the state, he added.
While pointing out that 15,000 students generally completed graduation from government
and private colleges every year but only 2,000
seats used to be available in different departments of MU for higher studies after graduation,
Bikramjit said that majority of the students were
unable to continue higher studies.
However,
with the establishment of DM University, the
issue was mitigated in some ways.
While informing that the varsity needs to
get relevant status under Section 1(F) and 12(B)
of UGC Act, Bikramjit said that it is unable
to acquire the 12(B) status of the UGC thud
depriving the students in getting scholarship
and also creating hurdles in receiving funds
from the UGC.
In order to attain the status of 12 (B), DMU
must have regular staff, however, the only
regular staff in the varsity is the vice chancellor
whereas the remaining are all deputed from the
Education (U) department.
The secretary continued that most of construction work for the building under RUSA has
been completed, but after providing some funds
for recruitment of teaching and non-teaching
staff for the university in the first instalment,
it has stopped since the last four years.
Recruitment of several posts of the university
was done in December, 2020 but the results are
yet to be declared.
According to rules, a bureaucrat officer can
become a registrar of a newly established university for three years only, he informed, while
stating that the present registrar of DMU has
been in the varsity for more than four years.
It is unfortunate that the government initiated
process for establishing Maharaja Kulachandra
University even before making the newly established DMU a full-fledged varsity.
In addition to it, the government also passed
in the assembly to set up Deccan University and
Capital International University, which are from
outside the state, and education department is
working hard to set up the two universities.
Out
of the 13 universities in the state, MU is the only
full-fledged university, he maintained, while
urging the government to take up initiatives
so as to make DMU a full-fledged university.
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