ATSUM demands revoking decision of Academic Council of MU

TSE, IMPHAL, Oct 9: The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has threatened to impose indefinite total shut down in all the hill districts if the decision adopted by the Manipur University Academic Council regarding reservation of seats in admission is not revoked within four days.

Speaking to mediapersons at their Nagaram office today, ATSUM president Joseph R Hmar said that an emergency joint meeting of ATSUM, ANSAM, KSO, MUTSU and district level tribal student bodies was held today regarding the decision of the MU Academic Council.

The Academic Council's decision to follow the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006 is unacceptable to ATSUM and like minded student bodies.

"ATSUM believes in MU authority, academicians, intellectuals and think tank but we would not tolerate the act of taking law into somebody's hands", Joseph Hmar said.
It appears that MU authority has been influenced and controlled by some people with vested interests, he said.
They are defying UGC's instructions and Court's order. They also did not pay any heed to the Chancellor.

If the Academic Council's decision is not revoked within four days, there would be an indefinite total shut down in all the hill districts.

A press release issued by MU authority to media on September 20 said that MU was following Central Government Policy in admission since 2009 up to 2013-14 under the CEI (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006, No 5 of 2007.

For 2014-15, 2015-16 and the current academic session, MU adopted the CEI (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Act 2012 in accordance with a UGC instruction.

An order issued by the High Court of Manipur on September 1 also instructed MU authority to follow CEI (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Act, 2012. The press release issued by MU authority on September 20 said they have been complying with all these instructions and orders.

Contradictory to their own statement, the MU authority decided to follow CEI (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006 thereby making a mockery of the amendment made to the
principal Act by the Parliament, Joseph Hmar said.
Seats reserved for admission in MU under CEI (Reservation in Admission) Act 2006 are 7.5 per cent for ST, 17 per cent for SC and 27 per cent for OBC.

On the other hand, seats reserved for admission under CEI (Reservation in Admission) Amendment Act 2012 are 31 per cent for ST, 2 per cent for SC and 17 per cent for OBC.