Manipur University again in trouble water over controversial VC in-charge appointment

Barely days after the completion of the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Prof. N. Lokendra Singh, Manipur University has once again been pushed into controversy following the appointment of Prof. Ganga Prasad Parsain as Vice-Chancellor in-charge — a move now facing sharp criticism over alleged violation of the Manipur University Act and Statutes.
In an order issued on May 14, 2026 by the Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education, Government of India, the President of India, in her capacity as Visitor of the University, approved handing over the charge of Vice-Chancellor to Prof. Ganga Prasad Parsain of the Department of Commerce until a regular Vice-Chancellor assumes office.
However, the appointment has triggered serious legal and administrative questions as Statute 2(6) of the Manipur University Statutes reportedly lays down a clear mechanism for such situations. The provision states that in the absence of a regular Vice-Chancellor, the charge is to be assigned to the Pro Vice-Chancellor or the senior-most professor of the university. Manipur University currently has no Pro Vice-Chancellor.
Academic circle argue that the appointment of Prof. Parsain, despite the existence of senior professors in the university, amounts to bypassing the statutory framework governing the institution. Academic observers maintain that discretionary appointments in disregard of statutory provisions undermine institutional autonomy and erode confidence in administrative transparency.
The controversy has also revived memories of the 2020 constitutional and administrative crisis at the university, when the High Court of Manipur had intervened amid a prolonged leadership vacuum. During that period, Prof. Amar Yumnam assumed charge as Vice-Chancellor in-charge on the basis of being the senior-most professor, a move widely viewed as consistent with Statute 2(6) and the spirit of the court’s observations.
What has raised further concern within academic circles is the apparent contradiction between the university’s own statutory provisions and the latest order issued by the Ministry of Education. Legal observers point out that while the Visitor of the university enjoys overarching authority, executive decisions are still expected to conform to the parent Act and statutory framework governing the institution. Any departure from statutory norms, they argue, risks inviting legal scrutiny and setting a precedent for arbitrary administrative intervention in central universities.
Student bodies and faculty members have also begun questioning the silence of the university administration over the issue. Several academics contend that if statutory seniority can be overlooked in interim appointments, it weakens the rule-based administrative structure of the university and opens the door for future politicisation of appointments.
The latest development comes at a time when Manipur University is already struggling with years of administrative instability, litigation and internal conflict. Instead of restoring confidence after the end of Prof. Lokendra’s tenure, the controversial appointment has once again plunged the university into uncertainty, with many now demanding clarity from the Ministry of Education on the legal basis under which the in-charge Vice-Chancellor was appointed.