Imphal, August 21: The Tribal Youth Council Manipur (TYCM), General Headquarters, has given the State Government one month’s time to issue a public notification for the nomination or appointment of the Chairperson of the Manipur State Commission for Scheduled Tribes (MSCST).
According to the communique, the stipulated period extends from August 19, 2025, to September 20, 2025. “In the event that the State Government fails to issue the said public notification on or before September 20, 2025, the TYCM-GHQ will take a concrete decision on the future course of action to be pursued,” it stated. The decision was taken in the Central Executive Council (CEC) meeting held on August 19, 2025.
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The TYCM highlighted that the three-year tenure of the Chairperson of the MSCST ended on July 14, 2025. Without a Chairperson, the Commission is unable to function properly and deliver its services to the tribal communities of Manipur, it said.
Describing the MSCST as “a very important institution for the tribal communities of Manipur,” the TYCM emphasized its role in monitoring and formulating policy matters related to the safeguards, rights, and interests of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) enshrined in the Constitution, various laws, and government orders.
The communiqué further stated that the MSCST is a quasi-judicial institution vested with judicial powers, including the authority to take suo-mot cognizance of complaints filed by aggrieved individuals. It stressed that the posts of Chairperson and Members are departmental appointments, not elected positions, and warned that if the process is influenced by politicians or personal preferences, “the Commission will never have a qualified Chairperson, and it will compromise the Commission’s justice delivery, legality, integrity, and independence, ultimately rendering it meaningless.”
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The TYCM questioned how the Government has identified candidates with special knowledge in tribal affairs “without conducting an invitation process for eligible candidates from the tribal communities of Manipur.” It maintained that fairness and transparency require an open invitation for applications, along with bio-data and activity reports.
The Council cautioned that the practice of nominating or appointing the Chairperson without such an open invitation “raises suspicions of nominations being influenced by nepotism or favoritism, with the possibility of nominating relatives or family members or close associates of political figures or officers.” Such practices, it warned, deny deserving individuals the right to fairly compete for these positions and ultimately harm the interests of tribal communities.
The TYCM-GHQ also informed that it has officially intimated the matter to the Hon’ble Governor of Manipur on August 21, 2025, regarding the decision taken by its Central Executive Council meeting.