Students from 10 Manipur schools and colleges urged CM Yumnam Khemchand to implement NRC before Census, with the government assuring an Assembly discussion from September 2.
Imphal, August 20: A delegation of students representing 10 schools and colleges met Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Imphal on Thursday and urged the state government to press the Centre for implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur before the Census.
The students demanded that the Centre be urged to undertake the NRC process before the Census to identify and detect illegal immigrants in the state. They also sought the reopening of educational institutions and asked the government to take up the NRC issue for discussion in the forthcoming session of the Manipur Legislative Assembly.
Responding to the delegation, Chief Minister Khemchand assured the students that the state government would move to discuss the implementation of the NRC in Manipur during the ensuing Assembly session, scheduled to begin on September 2.
Met a delegation of students from 10 schools & colleges today.
— Khemchand Yumnam (@YKhemchandSingh) August 20, 2026
They urged early implementation of NRC in Manipur before the Census to detect illegal immigrants.
Assured them Govt will discuss NRC in the Assembly session from Sept 2. pic.twitter.com/OMN7RzMFyi
The Chief Minister also informed the delegation that the government supports implementation of the NRC in the state.
However, Khemchand noted that two issues need to be addressed in connection with the process — the conduct of the NRC and ensuring its error-free implementation.
The meeting came amid continuing protests and public mobilisation in Manipur over demands that the NRC be updated before the Census. Various civil society and student groups have opposed the Census process without prior citizenship verification.
The students specifically urged the Chief Minister to use the state's position to pressurise the Centre to order implementation of the NRC before the Census. They argued that illegal immigrants should first be identified through the NRC before population enumeration is conducted.
The delegation also raised the issue of the continued closure of educational institutions and urged the government to reopen schools and colleges.
The demand came as student groups have remained involved in the wider agitation over the NRC-before-Census issue, with educational institutions affected by the prevailing situation and protests.
The students further sought an opportunity for the NRC issue to be discussed on the floor of the Assembly during its upcoming session.
The student delegation comprised representatives from DM College of Science, Manipur College, CC Higher Secondary School, Johnstone Higher Secondary School, Nambol Higher Secondary School, T.G. Higher Secondary School, Ibotonsana Girl’s Higher Secondary School, Ram Lal Paul School, Model Higher Secondary School and Ananda Singh Higher Secondary School.
Commissioner of Education Ningthoujam Geoffrey and Director Education (S) Ng. Bhogendra Meitei also attended the meeting.
The Chief Minister's assurance of an Assembly discussion on the NRC comes as demands for the exercise to precede the Census continue to gain momentum among student organisations and civil society groups in the state.
