The 10 Kuki MLAs have written to the Union Health Secretary, Apurva Chandra, requesting for additional examination centres in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts, Manipur.
In the letter to the Union Health Secretary, the Kuki MLAs stated that “the Directorate of Health Services, Government of Manipur vide order No. DHS304(1)/1/2024-DHS-DHS dated May 11, 2024 issued notification regarding entrance examinations for the following courses of new academic 2024 session and arranged examinations centers both at Imphal and Guwahati (Assam) and scheduled the day for June 8, 2024”.
The exams are the Common Entrance Examination for B Sc Nursing & Paramedical Course; Entrance Examination for ANM/GNM Course, and Entrance Examination for M Sc Nursing Course.
“In this connection, we would like to make it clear that due to the continued ethnic violence and physical separation of the majority Meiteis and the minority Kuki-Zomi-Hmar in the state since May 3, 2023, our students who aspire for higher education and jobs do not have access to the only available examination center at Imphal for security reasons,” the 10 MLAs stated.
These candidates have no other option but to travel to the neighboring states to appear for various examinations conducted by the state government, they added.
The Kuki MLAs maintained that the affected candidates have to incur huge expenditure for travelling, boarding and lodging as most of them are from poor economic backgrounds. The law-and-order situation in Manipur is still volatile even after the lapse of 12 months, and it is not likely to improve in the near future, they stated.
“In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, we request you to take up with the state government for arranging additional examination centers at Churachandpur and Kangpokpi for the said entrance examinations at the earliest,” the MLAs stated.
