IMPHAL, August 17: Warning to launch agitations against the Manipur University from the midnight of August 23 if it doesn’t implement the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission Amendment Act), 2012 this year, the All Tribal Student’s Union of Manipur president Maun Tombing stated in a press meet at the students’ body’s office in Nagaram this evening that MU authorities must stop admission procedures until the reservation issue is settled.
Central universities in Manipur like MU, ITI and CAU must all follow the new reservations norms led by Central Educational Institutions Act, he said, and if the authorities don’t issue an order for implementing the Central University Admission Reservation Amendment Act by August 22, ATSUM will launch various forms of agitations like stopping national projects and enforcing blockades on the State from the midnight of August 23 with the support of All Manipur Tribal Union.
Appealing the transporters and commercial vehicle owners to understand the reasons behind enforcing a blockade, he also urged all the brothers in the hills to cooperate in the agitation until they get their rights.
Tombing added that ATSUM, MUTSU and AMTU have submitted a joint memorandum to Human Resource Development minister Smriti Irani Minister, National Commission for Schedule Tribes chairman Dr Rameshwar Oraon and University Grants Commission secretary complaining about the non-implementation of Central Educational Institutions Act, 2012 in MU and requesting for their prompt intervention before the entrance tests for various subjects.
The memorandum says that the university has worked out the detailed data for admission of SC/ST/OBC and unreserved students. The same was approved by the concerned Head of Departments and Deans on July 23 after being intimated by the Union HRD ministry to implement the new reservations norms.
On July 24, the Assistant Registrar by virtue of being the head of a special cell for SC/ST students of the University issued an official press release which reads “in regard to reservation in admission for the academic year 2014-15, as stipulated in the gazette notification dated June 20, 2012, Central Educational Institution Reservation in Admission Amendment Act, 2012, the seat reserved for STs, SCs and OBCs shall be 31%, 2% and 17%”, Tombing said.
He said but on August 14 the academic council without the assistant and deputy registrar of the University in a meeting has abrogated the resolution of July 23 and resolve to keep the Act in abeyance on the pretext of some pandemonium in the University.
Reservation is one of the tools for preserving the interests of the tribes, Tombing said.
However, Manipur University is disregarding the Act with the intention of keeping it in abeyance, he added.