A private university based out of Guwahati has offered a complete waiver of admission fees for students affected by the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur.
There is no cap on the number of violence-affected students who seek to avail of the ‘Hope for Manipur Scholarship’ to pursue any undergraduate or postgraduate programme at the Royal Global University, officials at the institution said.
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Students of Manipur belonging to all affected communities will be eligible for the offer if they can provide evidence for the need for financial aid, the officials said.
“We came out with this offer because Manipur cannot wait even in tough times. Through the scholarship, we aim to provide financial relief and a supportive environment for students whose lives have been disrupted by the violence,” the university’s chancellor, A.K. Pansari said.
“Our commitment is to ensure that every student has the opportunity to pursue their academic dreams without hindrance,” he added.
“The recent events in Manipur have deeply affected many families. Our goal with this scholarship is to provide not just financial assistance, but also hope and succour to the students. We are dedicated to transforming lives through education,” Utpal Kanta, the director of Growth and Strategy at the university said.
More than 220 people have died and some 62,000 were displaced by the ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo people that broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023. Sporadic incidents continue to happen.
The situation is such that Meiteis, who dominate the Imphal Valley in the central part of the State, cannot go to the surrounding hills inhabited by the Kuki-Zo people and vice versa.
Manipur Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, often criticised for letting things go out of hand, said a few days ago that the Centre and the State government will resolve the situation in two or three months.
