Imphal: The All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has urged the Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University to address several long-pending issues affecting tribal students, including the functioning of the university’s ST/SC Cell, postgraduate admissions and the lack of examination centres in the state’s hill districts.
In a memorandum submitted on Wednesday, the apex Naga student body highlighted what it described as serious shortcomings in student welfare and academic accessibility, calling for immediate institutional reforms to safeguard the interests of tribal scholars.
One of ANSAM’s primary concerns is the condition of the university’s Scheduled Tribe/Scheduled Caste (ST/SC) Cell. The association alleged that although such a cell exists on paper in accordance with University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, it has failed to function effectively.
The organisation urged the university to transform the cell into a fully operational body responsible for monitoring reservation policies in student admissions and faculty recruitment, protecting the welfare of students and staff from reserved categories, and providing an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
ANSAM also raised objections to the university’s decision to admit postgraduate students solely through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). According to the association, the system places tribal students from remote hill districts at a disadvantage because they must travel long distances to appear for the examination.
The association said the absence of National Testing Agency (NTA) examination centres in hill districts such as Ukhrul, Senapati, Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Chandel has created significant financial and logistical burdens for candidates. It also pointed to security concerns faced by students travelling through conflict-affected areas.
To address the issue, ANSAM urged the university administration to coordinate with the NTA and the UGC to establish CUET examination centres in all major hill district headquarters, ensuring equal access for students from remote regions.
The memorandum further criticised the reported practice of converting unfilled Scheduled Tribe (ST) seats into Scheduled Caste (SC) seats. The association argued that such a move violates the provisions of the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Act, 2012, and called for strict adherence to the law while maintaining transparency in the implementation of reservation policies.
As an interim measure, ANSAM proposed that Manipur University conduct a separate state-level entrance examination for postgraduate programmes until adequate CUET infrastructure is established in the hill districts. It said such an arrangement would prevent deserving tribal students from losing an academic year due to geographical and logistical constraints.