Kannur University Offers Admission to Manipur Students Displaced by Violence

Under a unique arrangement created by Kannur University, more than 20 Manipur students whose studies have been interrupted by the turmoil in the state since May have traveled to Kerala to pursue higher education.

23 students from the Kuki community, including 10 girls, arrived at Kannur International Airport on Tuesday thanks to special permission granted by the university syndicate to admit students escaping Manipur. Additional students from the Kuki community are expected to arrive in the coming days.

According to a decision made at a syndicate meeting on August 7 to admit any student impacted by the violence in Manipur, either at our campuses or in affiliated colleges, we are accommodating these students, university syndicate member Pramod Vellachal said on Wednesday to The Telegraph.

According to Pramod, an associate professor of English at Mahatma Gandhi College in Kannur's Iritty, around 70 Manipuri students have expressed interest in enrolling at the university in the north Kerala city.

"Malayali teachers and lecturers working in Manipur told these students about our university and the educational resources in Kerala," he said.

According to the professor, the Kuki Students' Organization (KSO) contacted the university because it received no answer from central universities or the University Grants Commission regarding how to help students who had to stop their studies due to the violence.

Before visiting Manipur, a group of CPM lawmakers urged afflicted kids from the Meitei and Kuki communities to finish their studies in Kerala.

Due to the large number of Malayali students who travel to the West for further study, several colleges in Kerala have open seats.

"Since Malay students have been traveling abroad for further education, there are plenty of open seats at several colleges. Pramod, who is overseeing their admissions, said, "We are also attempting to set up some sort of scholarship for the Manipuri students."

The applicants are looking for admission to a variety of academic years and programs. "They are looking at admissions for first, second, and third-year undergraduate courses in various streams, post-graduate courses, and PhD," he said.

The need for producing hard copies of educational credentials has also been reduced by Kannur University in light of the fact that the majority of students have lost them due to burning at home. "We have given them time until they complete whatever course they are enrolling into here to apply for duplicate copies and produce them before the completion of their courses with us," said Pramod.

The guest house at the university in Kannur has room for all 23 students. "We will enroll them in colleges with housing options and set up a system where hostel wardens will look out for their welfare," he declared.

According to Goulungmon Haokip, who is applying for admission to the LLB program, at least ten more students are prepared to enroll at Kannur University. "When the KSO directed us to this university, we were having trouble getting admission. We appreciate the university's and Kerala's government's accommodations.

"The fact that multiple universities in Kannur have offered to take us makes us all feel very relieved. At least our schooling can now be finished, Haokip continued.

Manipuri pupils are already being accepted into Keralan schools. The first pupil, a girl youngster, was enrolled last month without any documentation to a government school in Thiruvananthapuram.