The Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) has reportedly filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, urging the reinstatement of Manipur's Churachandpur as an examination centre for Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams, both for the current academic year and in the future.

The plea seeks directives from the court to the SSC and the Manipur government to arrange travel facilities for tribal students from the hill districts of Manipur to Aizawl, Mizoram, after Churachandpur was removed as a designated exam venue.

According to reports, during a hearing on Monday, the respondents' legal representatives requested additional time to gather instructions. The case, overseen by a bench led by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, has been postponed to October 16.

The plea, filed by Advocate Rudrajit Ghosh, argues that the SSC's decision to remove Churachandpur as an exam venue lacks a reasonable basis and contradicts reports from competent government officials.

The KSO claims that this move is arbitrary and unfair, significantly affecting the academic prospects of hundreds of Kuki-Zo tribal students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in the hill regions of Manipur.

The plea highlights the challenges faced by over 500 Kuki students during the recent Combined Graduate Level Examination (Tier-I) 2024, where many candidates who selected Churachandpur as their exam centre were reassigned to Aizawl. This relocation imposed significant hardships, including long travel on difficult hill roads and high travel costs. Some students were forced to skip the exam due to difficulties in securing accommodation and other basic amenities in Aizawl.

Despite these hurdles, the petitioner managed to rally support, facilitating the travel of about 280 students to Mizoram to take the exam. The KSO warns that without intervention, the removal of Churachandpur as an exam centre could jeopardise the future of a generation of tribal youth in Manipur.