Manipur University to reopen on Thursday

Pothashang News Service: Imphal, August 22, 2018: Manipur University Students’ Union on Wednesday announced that the total shut down strike imposed on the varsity campus demanding ouster of vice-chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey will be suspended from Thursday after 77 days of varsity shut down.

President of the varsity student body M. Dayaman said that the shut down strike will be suspended acknowledging the inconvenience being faced by students with the varsity impasse. “We will continue to struggle until Pandey is ousted from the University,” he added.

A litany of allegations is levelled against the vice-chancellor ranging from administrative irregularities and financial irregularities. He was charged of using bullet proof vehicle and provision of ‘Y’ category security besides being a vice-chancellor.

Demanding replacement by a new vice-chancellor the student body launched agitation on May 30 and intensified with total shut down strike effective from July 6.

The Manipur University Teachers Association and the Manipur University Staffs Association joined the students’ agitation against Pandey.

Pandey made several clarifications which the varsity community refuted. The varsity community demanded for an independent enquiry committee.

The HRD ministry had constituted a fresh Fact Finding Committee comprising T. Nandakumar Singh, former acting Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, and Prof. M.K. Choudhary, former vice-chancellor of Tezpur University.

The HRD ministry has also approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed on August 16 between Manipur University community and the central and state government representatives, said Dayaman.