Kuki-Zo Medical Students Debarred From Exams; Protest Outside The Manipur University
On Tuesday, displaced Kuki-Zo medical students conducted a protest against the Manipur University for not allowing them to write Phase-1 of the MBBS examinations that is being held at Churachandpur Medical College (CMC).
Allegedly, the Manipur University is not allowing displaced students to appear for university exams despite the National Medical Commission have no objections for the displaced students to appear for the examinations from their parent colleges or from any other institutions.
Due to safety reasons in the context of the intense ethnic conflict between Meithei and Kuki-Zo tribes that erupted on May 3rd of this year, students were forced to move from the medical colleges in Meithei-majority Imphal to Kuki-majority Churachandpur.
27 Kuki-Zo students from the medical colleges in Meithei-majority Imphal moved to Churachandpur, while 92 students from medical colleges in the Kuki-Zo majority Churanchandpur moved to Imphal.
While the students who moved form Churachandpur to Imphal medical colleges were allowed to appear for the phase-1 examinations, the Kuki-Zo students who moved from Imphal to Churachandpur medical colleges were denied permission to appear for the examination by the Manipur University.
In a two-page memorandum submitted to the governor Anasuiya Uikey by the Kuk-Zo students, it is mentioned that apart from the 27 MBBS students, two displaced BDS students were also denied permission to appear for examinations from November 14. The memorandum was submitted through deputy commissioner of Churachandpur.
The memorandum read, “this arbitrary action of Manipur University has greatly disappointed us. We would therefore like to know on what ground our six fellow students from CMC are allowed to write their exam and we were denied the same training under one roof? Why the MU (Manipur University) is not allowing us to write the university exam even after getting NoC from NMC?”, as quoted by The Telegraph.
The said six students were from the first batch of Churachandpur Medical College that became operational last year. All four medical colleges of Manipur are affiliated to Manipur University and the examination for the colleges were conducted by the Manipur University.
The Kuki-Zo students claimed to submit their examination fees and filling up their exam forms. The memorandum also read, “we the 29 (2 BDS + 27 MBBS) displaced students were thus preparing to write the university examination scheduled on 14/11.2023 (BDS) and 21/11/2023 (MBBS) respectively. Unfortunately in the last minute of 13/11/2023 we were debarred form taking the BDS exam and again on 18/11/2023 we were informed that admit cards and exam materials were sent to only six MBBS Churachandpur Medical College students; and yet the displaced students were excluded”. It is also added that the action of the Manipur University is “amounted to discrimination and taking away” right to education.
An official relating to the issue told The Telegraph that the said students were denied permission due to “some issues” with the varsity and they were “trying to help” the students.
