Imphal: The students' union of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University on Thursday launched an indefinite strike demanding 99 per cent reservation in recruitments from grade IV posts to the vice-chancellor as well as permanent faculty and increase in admission intake.

The regional campus of the university is at Makhan village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district.

"The main objective of the university is to provide higher education and research facilities and collaborate with national and international universities and to promote tribal communities. It is very unfortunate that these provisions have not been fulfilled so far," said union president Hoakhomang Chongloi.

"The university has been functioning since 2009. But there is a lack of permanent faculty in every department, particularly in the tribal studies and sociology departments. We demand immediate recruitment of permanent faculty and administrative staff without delay and following proper reservation policy," he said.

The students alleged the admission and course fees are exorbitant and demanded immediate review of the fee structure following other central university norms. They also demanded increase in intake from the existing 30 in each department to 100 students. They complained the staff quarters, hostels, bank and post office on the campus were inadequate. They demanded immediate arrangement of rooms for faculty and research scholars.

"A library with computers and Internet facility is a prerequisite and necessary arrangements should be made before the start of the new academic session," Chongloi said.

"We will not allow the entrance test, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, to be conducted unless our demands are met," he said.

"The regional campus offers only five disciplines - political science and human rights, tribal studies, sociology, social work and computer applications. We strongly demand opening of English, philosophy, geography, history and BEd departments as well as a centre for Northeast studies, centre for South Asia studies and a separate department for human rights," he said.

Introduction of NET/JRF coaching centre on the campus, immediate functioning of the IGNOU study centre for MA courses, separate budget and swift action for students' welfare are among the other demands.

According to the varsity rules, the vice-chancellor must visit the regional campus every three months but he has not visited in the last year, the students claimed.

The union had submitted a memorandum on the various demands to vice-chancellor T. V. Kattimani on April 23 and demanded him to fulfil them by April 30.

"We submitted our demands several times but received no response. We will continue our shutdown till our demands are fulfilled," said Chongloi.