Dhanamanjuri University researchers accuse the government of ignoring their demand for long-pending stipends despite repeated assurances
Imphal: The indefinite hunger strike by the Dhanamanjuri University Students’ Union (DMU-SU) entered its seventh day on Tuesday, with PhD scholars demanding the release of long-pending stipends.
The protest, backed by the union’s 2005-06 cohort, was launched by research scholars who allege that stipends promised under government provisions have remained unpaid since the programme began.
Konsam Premjit, president of the Democratic Youth Front (DYF), said no government representative had approached the protesters to discuss their grievances. He cited a Manipur Gazette notification dated October 30, 2017, providing for stipends for PhD research scholars.
Premjit said even the 2022 batch has not received financial assistance. He added that university officials had met Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on July 30 and were reportedly assured that the pending stipends would be released in the first week of September. The assurance, he said, was not fulfilled.
The government reportedly cited a shortage of funds during the recent Assembly session. Premjit argued that the proposed Rs 8,000 monthly stipend would only ease the financial burden of research, covering expenses related to laboratory work, technology, fieldwork and academic publications.
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