Special Correspondent
Ukhrul, September 27:
Nearly 3,000 students from across Ukhrul district came together on Friday to participate in the Hunphun Katamnao Long (HKL/Ukhrul Students’ Union) Competitive Examination, transforming the examination halls into a powerful display of youthful aspiration, discipline and determination.
The competitive examination, organised with the objective of nurturing a culture of competitive preparation among students in the district, was conducted simultaneously at three centres—Savio Higher Secondary School, Awungtang; Ukhrul Higher Secondary School, Wino Tang; and Central School, Phungreitang.
The impressive participation of students from different parts of the district marked an encouraging moment for Ukhrul’s educational landscape, signalling a growing willingness among young learners to test themselves against broader academic standards and prepare for examinations beyond the conventional school curriculum.
The examination was conducted in a disciplined and confident atmosphere, with students approaching the test not merely as an assessment of their academic knowledge but as an opportunity to sharpen their competitive skills and gain experience for future national-level examinations.
The initiative assumes particular significance at a time when competitive examinations have become an increasingly important gateway to professional education and prestigious institutions across the country.
Ukhrul MLA Ram Muivah visited all three examination centres and interacted with students, extending encouragement and support to the young aspirants. His visit provided an additional source of motivation to students who had gathered with the ambition of competing at higher levels.
Speaking to the media during his visit, Muivah expressed delight at the large-scale participation in the examination organised by HKL.
“I am extremely delighted to receive the examination call of the competitive exam being conducted by HKL, Hunphun Katamnao Long, Ukhrul Students’ Union,” he said, noting that nearly 3,000 students had participated.
According to the MLA, the examination syllabus was designed around the pattern of major All-India competitive examinations, giving students an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the nature and demands of national-level tests.
Muivah said the enthusiastic participation was particularly heartening because Ukhrul has yet to see a large number of students entering some of India’s most competitive professional and management institutions.
He highlighted the global recognition enjoyed by institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), stressing the importance of preparing students from Ukhrul to compete for seats in such institutions.
“Starting from this competitive examination in Ukhrul, many students from Ukhrul should also crack the national-level examinations,” Muivah said, expressing his aspiration to see students from the district enter IITs and IIMs and pursue careers in leading institutions and companies.
Recalling an early milestone in Ukhrul’s educational journey, the MLA referred to Tonrei Sishak, whom he identified as among the first students from Ukhrul to pursue B.Tech studies at an IIT and who later became Chief Engineer (Power) in Nagaland.
He also pointed to students from Ukhrul who have pursued MBA programmes at institutions including IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore and subsequently worked with prestigious companies and multinational corporations.
Muivah called for greater emphasis on competitive examination preparation so that more young people from Ukhrul can follow similar paths.
The HKL examination thus emerged not simply as a one-day academic test, but as an encouraging beginning toward building a stronger competitive-examination culture in the district.
For the thousands of students who entered the examination halls on Friday, the real significance may lie beyond the question paper itself. It was an opportunity to measure their preparedness, confront competition with confidence and begin imagining possibilities far beyond the boundaries of their immediate surroundings.
The message from the initiative was clear: talent from Ukhrul can aspire to compete nationally, and preparation must begin early.
As the young examinees walked out of the centres, the examination left behind more than answers marked on paper—it offered a renewed sense of ambition and a reminder that the road to India’s premier institutions begins with the courage to compete.
