A large number of volunteers from the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) staged a protest at Manipur University, gheraoing the office of the Vice Chancellor and locking the main gate, demanding his removal over alleged maladministration and irregularities. The protestors attempted to march towards the Vice Chancellor’s office during the afternoon but were stopped by security personnel deployed on the campus. Following this, the students raised slogans accusing the Vice Chancellor of incompetence and alleged involvement in malpractices and scams. As part of the agitation, demonstrators locked the main gate of the Vice Chancellor’s office and continued shouting slogans demanding his removal. Among the slogans raised were calls for the removal of the “culprit Vice Chancellor,” criticism of the alleged silence of the Ministry of Education, the Chief Rector, and the Visitor over what they termed a “scam committee” constituted by the Vice Chancellor and demands for a high-level inquiry into the functioning of the university administration. The protestors also called for an end to what they described as illegal recruitment practices and demanded the appointment of a Vice Chancellor with a transparent record and no links to alleged irregularities.
The association stated that the agitation was aimed at “saving Manipur University” and safeguarding the future of the student community. Speaking to reporters at the protest site, KSA president Seram Hemjit alleged that Vice Chancellor N. Lokendro Singh had been running the affairs of Manipur University in an arbitrary manner. He accused the Vice Chancellor of appointing non-teaching staff without obtaining approval from the Visitor and claimed that statutory norms were violated in several appointments. He further alleged that such actions had harmed the dignity and institutional credibility of the university.
Hemjit said the KSA would continue its agitation until the Vice Chancellor is removed from office.
