Imphal: Students and faculty at Pettigrew College staged a protest on Tuesday at the unfinished Academic Block in Meizailung. They demand immediate government action to fix crumbling infrastructure and deep staff shortages. Established in 1965, the college is the only government institution in Ukhrul district, located 90 kilometres from Imphal.
Ramreichan Keishing, president of the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong, told the media the college is under strain. The facility currently serves 1,321 students across 12 departments. It faces a deficit of 41 teachers and 43 non-teaching staff members. Under the National Education Policy, the college needs 36 classrooms but has only 10. Students are learning in garages, libraries, and laboratories.
Several building projects sit unfinished years past their deadlines. A 14.98-crore Academic Block awarded to Y. Sunil Singh remains incomplete three years after the June 2023 deadline. Similarly, a 14.28-crore hostel project and a 76.38-lakh boundary wall project have stalled. Students report that science labs lack equipment, and the college struggles with a lack of updated library books.
Student Solonchon Luikham noted the impact on science education. "As science students, laboratories are very necessary. We regularly have practical classes, but because the required materials are not provided, we cannot perform them fully," she said. Students also lack reliable transport, as a promised college bus from the Chief Minister has yet to arrive.
The student body has submitted repeated petitions to state officials, including the Education Minister, Chief Minister, and Governor, since 2023. They now demand a fixed, public timeline for project completion and the immediate hiring of staff. The protesters claim they can no longer bear the cost of administrative delay.
Comments