To fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people of Manipur, the Centre converts Manipur University into a Central University. 

With President APJ Abdul Kalam promulgating the ordinance, a long standing demand of the people of Manipur has been fulfilled. Manipur University has now been converted into a Central University. The ordinance was promulgated to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people, said official sources.

The official sources have also admitted that the conversion of Manipur University into a Central University was an old demand from the State. It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during his visit to the State in November last year announced the decision of the Government convert Manipur University to a Central University.

As a result of the ordinance, the University along with its constituent college, Manipur Institute of Technology, will be funded by the Centre through the University  Grants Commission (UGC).     Besides, as a number of preparatory steps are required to be taken for operationalising the Central University, Manipur University will start functioning as a central university from the next academic session.

According to an official release, the financial requirement of the University for infrastructure development, spread over a period of three years, is estimated at Rs 49 crore and recurring expenditure at Rs 11 crore per annum. To pave ay for conversion, the Centre ill withdraw the Manipur University Bill, 2005, pending in the Rajya Sabha in the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament and introduce a fresh Bill to replace the Ordinance.

Manipur University was established on June 5, 1980 under the Manipur University Act, 1980 (Manipur Act 8 of 1980). Located at Canchipur about 8 kms from Imphal city on the Indo-Myanmar road (National Highway-39) the University covers an area of about 287 acres. The University offers a number of courses including the School of Humanities which covers English Department, Hindi Department, Linguistics Department, Manipuri Department at Philosophy Department.

Under School of Social Sciences, the university has the Department of Adult Continuing Education and extension, Department of Commerce, Department of Economics, Department of Education, Department of History, Department of Library and Information Science and Department of Political Science. The School of Sciences offer Anthropology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science, Geography, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. A number of centres/departments are also functioning in the university to strengthen higher education.

This includes Audio Visual Research Centre, Centre for Manipur Studies, University Museum, Computer Centre, IGNOU, Special Cell for the Welfare of SC and ST. For quite some time now that the people of Manipur are agitated over non-fulfilment of their demands. But, firstly the withdrawal of Assam Rifles and now granting Manipur University the status of Central University, it is expected that the people of the State  

Meanwhile Mizoram Sarva Shiksha Abhyan (SSA) claimed that the State would achieve highest literacy rate in the country by this year end. Additional project director of  SSA  Lalhmachhuana said that the  government was currently undertaking a survey and collecting data of the exact literacy percentage of the State. The exercise would be completed by this year end. “Since the government has set itself the task of surpassing Kerala in literacy, we are very careful how we go about collecting the data.,’’ he added.

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