Imphal: The All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) has announced today to agitate from April 3, 2023 in the hill districts of Manipur as the student body is “perturbed with the imperious action of the incumbent Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) administration in depriving the reservation rights of the tribals in the direct recruitment to Group C and Group D posts”. However, the ATSUM did not mention the mode of their agitation.
The ATSUM said the decision to resort to agitation by the student body was considered after repeated pleas for streamlining of the reservation norms in direct recruitment in consonance with the rule of law. The tribal student body said their pleas were ignored by the RIMS administration.
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In a statement, the ATSUM said that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India, while having convinced that the direct recruitment to Group C and Group D posts normally attracts candidates from locality or a region, fixed the reservation quantum of reserved categories on the basis of their population in the respective States/UTs. “As such, the reservation quantum of SC, ST and OBC for the case of Manipur State in regard to direct recruitment of Group C and Group D posts of Central institutions was fixed as 3% for SC, 34 % for ST and 13% for OBC respectively vide DoPT OM No. 36017/2/2004 -Estt.(Res) dated 05/07/2005”, the ATSUM pointed out. “However, defying the DoPT OM, advertisements for recruitment of 134 posts MTS and 9 posts of LDC were notified vide Notification No.B/3025/2015 – RIMS dated 16th Jan 20216 and Notification No. B/3222/2018 dated 1st June 2019 respectively,” it also said.
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The ATSUM claimed that it lodged complaints to the RIMS authority, the concerned Ministry and the NCST for streamlining of the reservation norms in line with DoPT OM. In this regard, discussion between the ATSUM and the RIMS authority was positively held on several occasions, the tribal student body also said. Further, a joint meeting of the Parliamentary Committee, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and the RIMS authority for necessary rectification of the reservation quantum was also held, the ATSUM also stated. “Subsequently, the RIMS authority vide its notification dated 5th March, 2021 revised the reservation roster in respect of 134 posts of MTS which was advertised on January 16, 2016 as 67 posts for UR, 4 posts for SC, 46 posts for ST and 17 posts for OBC respectively,” it added.
The ATSUM then said that after a clarification in the matter of reservation in appointment of Group C and erstwhile Group D posts in Central Government Institutions functioning in Manipur state was sought vide letter No. B/3222/2018 – RIMS(Pt – I) dated 16 – 11 -2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India, instruction for adherence of reservation quantum of 3% for SCs, 34% for STs and 13% for OBCs in case of direct recruitment to Group C and Group D was conveyed to the RIMS Director vide letter No. U -12025/19/2019 – NE dated 11th May 2022. “Accordingly, in compliance with the Ministry letter, the RIMS administration with the approval of the concerned authority issued an order of reservation quantum to be followed in RIMS as 3% for SC, 34 % for ST, 13% for OBC and 50% for UR in case of direct recruitment to Group C and Group D posts vide Order No. M/1/2019 – RIMS (49) dated 21st May 2022,” the ATSUM also added.
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The ATSUM alleged that the incumbent RIMS administration, however, in gross violation of the known reservation norms, declared the results for appointment of 9 LDC posts at RIMS vide No. B/3222/2018 – RIMS dated 03/03/2023. Despite the cordial pleas of the ATSUM for rectification of the reservation discrepancies, the RIMS administration remained adamant in justifying its deliberate wrongdoing at the persuasion of few administrative officers. The ATSUM said that it learnt that the RIMS administration is further trying to aggravate the pain of the tribals by processing DPCs for other posts before the reservation quota of SC, ST and OBC is streamlined. Therefore, while considering the blatant act of the incumbent RIMS administration as ‘a challenge to the authority of Indian Constitution’ and “a desperate attempt to deprive the Manipur tribal communities of their legitimate rights”, the tribal student body as endorsed by its 3rd General Assembly held on March 27, 2023, will resort to various forms of democratic agitation from April 3, 2023 demanding nullification of the “notorious declaration” of results for appointment of LDC, RIMS dated March 3, 2023.
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The ATSUM said the agitation is also to demand appropriate actions against the “erring RIMS administration” in accordance with prevailing laws.
The ATSUM demands for putting on hold the appointments and DPC of other staff till reservation of ST, SC and OBC is streamlined.
The ATSUM then said that the student body in consultation with other stakeholders may also intensify the agitation if the “legitimate” demands are ignored.
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