Khongnangthaba University (KTU), Khurai Konsam Leikai, Imphal East, inaugurated the Birchandra Central Library today, with Vice Chancellor Professor N. Joykumar Singh presiding over the ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Joykumar described the occasion as auspicious, coinciding with Teachers’ Day, and underscored the pivotal role of libraries in academic growth and research. “With a strong physical collection and SOUL-enabled e-resources, we are building an academic hub that supports serious scholarship and nurtures a culture of reading and research,” he said.
Dedicated to the memory of the late Khaidem Birchandra, father of the founding chairman of the Khongnangthaba Foundation, the library opens with a collection of 5,000 books, a 100-seat reading hall, and a full-fledged e-library operated through SOUL (Software for University Libraries) with INFLIBNET connectivity. This integration will provide students and research scholars with professional cataloguing, digital access, and discovery tools.
Prof. Joykumar expressed gratitude to contributors who enriched the library’s holdings. He acknowledged Prof. M. Iboton Singh, retired Dean, School of Social Sciences, Manipur University, for donating books and theses, and Dr. Ashangbam Vivekananda Singh, Managing Director of Padma Diagnostic Centre, RIMS Road, for contributing valuable medical and diagnostic study materials. “Their generosity will directly benefit our students and faculty,” he noted.
Designed as the intellectual hub of the campus, the Birchandra Central Library combines print resources with digital facilities, reflecting KTU’s commitment to advancing learning, fostering research, and promoting public-spirited scholarship in Manipur and beyond.