Manipur Crisis| Supreme Court Directs Justice Gita Mittal Committee To Resolve Grievances Of Students Seeking Transfer To Central Universities

The Supreme Court today (August 9) directed the Committee headed by Justice Gita Mittal to look into the individual grievances raised by 25 displaced students from Manipur University who seek a permanent transfer to other central universities. The students were displaced due to the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.

The 25 students belonging to the Manipur University have sought for being completely transferred to other Central Universities like JNU etc.

It may be noted that in November 2023, the top court had heard the plea of 284 students of Manipur University who sought relocation in wake of the Manipur Violence. The Court had provided three options for the students – a) attend classes at Manipur University online; b) attend the Assam University, Silchar or; c) attend North East Hill University, Shillong.

Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora appearing for the 25 students stressed that neither Assam University nor NEHU, Shillong were providing the students with the facility to undertake practicals. The students are majorly pursing sciences.

On the contrary, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati explained that the online classes were being conducted and that both Assam University and NEHU, Shillong have offered practicals, but the students want the practicals to take place in universities where they are presently residing - Delhi etc.

The bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra directed the committee head by Justice Gita Mittal to personally look into the grievances raised by the 25 students within a week's time.

"We permit the counsel for petitioners to submit a common note on behalf of all the 25 students to the committee chaired by Justice Gita Mittal. We request the committee to look into each of the grievances filed by the students and where possible to address their grievances by issuing necessary directions to the nodal officers. The exercise is be completed within 1 week."

Bench also clarified that the committee required any support of directions issued by this Court, that may be indicated.

It may be noted that last year, the Court had directed the Committee to explore better administrative decisions to aid the situation of the students. The Committee is presently seeing several humanitarian aspects of the ethnic violence in Manipur.

Case Details : MANIPUR UNIVERSITY EIMI WELFARE SOCIETY AND ANR. Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS. MA 762/2024 in W.P.(C) No. 1307/2023