Imphal, Oct. 28: The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (Atsum) has warned of an indefinite economic blockade from midnight tonight to put pressure on Manipur University to follow the norms that provide 31 per cent reservation for Scheduled Tribes in admission.

The tribal students have been demanding the implementation of reservation norms of 31 per cent for Scheduled Tribes, 2 per cent for Scheduled Castes and 17 per cent for the Other Backward Classes.

Despite the protests launched at various stages against the adoption of the reservation norms that provide 15 per cent reservations for SCs, 7.5 per cent for STs and 27 per cent for OBCs for the academic session, the university's academic council took the decision to follow these norms in different sittings.

At a meeting held at Mantripukhri in Imphal yesterday, Atsum, Manipur University Tribal Students' Union and apex tribal groups took the decision to launch the indefinite economic blockade along the national highways and halt national projects along the highways with effect from midnight tonight.

The meeting discussed the reservation norms for admission to the university. It urged the newly appointed vice-chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey to stop the ongoing admission process in the university and stick to the directives of the human resource development ministry and the high court's order to implement the parliamentary act that provides 31 per cent reservation for STs.

Pandey, who was the head of the economics department of Banaras Hindu University, took charge of Manipur University on October 26.

Manipur High Court on Wednesday ruled an order to implement the same in the academic session 2016-17.

The academic council of the university had taken the resolution twice in the past two months to implement the central norms, which give 7.5 per cent reservation for STs. However, it could not be implemented as a section of tribal students objected to it.

The decision to adopt the central norms was taken during a meeting of all heads of the departments and deans last Friday after professor Amar Yumnam was appointed the new vice-chancellor in-charge.

Amar Yumnam announced the adoption of the central norms and the completion of the admission process by tomorrow and resumption of classes by Sunday.

Furious over the decision, the tribal student groups protested at the gate of the university on October 24.

Admissions to the university had been halted for two months because of the row over the reservation norms.

There has been no regular vice-chancellor after H. Nandakumar Sharma retired on August 21.