MU students protest excessive demands

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jul 24 : Aggrieved with exorbitant monetary demands on educational institutions leading to frequent disruptions, Manipur University students staged a protest in front of MU Main Gate advocating for a disturbance-free education zone.
The protest was organised by the Co-ordinating Committee on Disturbance Free Educational  Zone Demand, which consists of 14 organisations including DESAM, AIMS, teachers' organisations of colleges and schools in Manipur.
Notably the protest was staged in connection with the observance of the 17th Disturbance-Free Educational Zone Demand Day, 2024.
Speaking to media persons, Mayengbam Kabirdas, Research Scholar from MU History Department, shared that their campaign for a disturbance-free educational zone consists of six demands.
Highlighting these demands, he urged i) armed groups to stop imposing unreasonable monetary and material demands on educational institutions, ii) State Government to stop politicization of education, iii) implement a law to ensure that educational institutions function for a minimum of 220 days per year, iv) eradicate nepotism, favouritism and corruption in matters relating to the education sector, v) State Government should ensure that there are no rule violations in educational institutions and unwanted hardships being imposed on students owing to delay or non-execution of Governmental work and lastly vi) to ensure that education sector becomes a disturbance free zone. Kabirdas stressed on the frequent disruptions occurring in educational institutions in the State and opined that even in times of war, hospitals and schools are spared. He also called for increased attention on the education sector so as to produce better students.