THE announcement of the State Teachers’ Award
2026 alongside the Chief Minister’s Educational Excellence Award 2026 by the Manipur
Government has sparked serious reflection on institutional fairness and
balanced governance. Issued on 4 September 2026 by the Directorate of
University & Higher Education, the collegiate honours were presented on
Teachers’ Day at the City Convention Centre in Imphal, awarding Nambol L Sanoi
College the first prize of Rs 5 lakh, Standard College second prize of Rs 3
lakh, and Liberal College third prize of Rs 2 lakh, alongside commendations to Don
Bosco College (Autonomous), Kha Manipur College, Modern College, Manipur College,
and DM College of Teacher Education. Meanwhile, the State Teachers’ Award
selected only seven educators: Oinam Ranjit Singh from Bishnupur, Salam Sunita
Devi, R K Badal Singh, and Hanjabam Sangeeta Devi from Imphal West, Phelim
Keishing from Kamjong, Kakchingtabam Pramodini Devi from Thoubal, and M
Mangkhoneng Haokip from Tengnoupal. While celebrating individual excellence is
warranted, these combined lists raise troubling questions about distribution
criteria, as allocating three teacher awards to Imphal West alone leaves nearly
three-quarters of the state unrepresented. This heavy imbalance fosters a
perception of centralized favoritism, eroding public trust in state
institutions.
This sharp geographical
concentration becomes particularly concerning when examining the eleven
administrative districts entirely omitted from both individual teacher honours
and major institutional accolades. Key regions including Churachandpur,
Kangpokpi, Pherzawl, Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel, Tamenglong, Noney, Jiribam, Kakching,
and Imphal East were largely bypassed across the board. The oversight is
particularly striking in educational hubs like Lamka, home to highly respected
institutions such as Rayburn College (Autonomous), established in 1994, which
serves as a trusted pillar offering courses from high school to postgraduate
levels alongside government colleges. Despite Rayburn College’s strong track
record, long-standing academic beacons across Lamka produced no individual
teacher awardees nor top institutional prize winners in this cycle. State
awards are meant to serve as morale-boosting incentives and reflections of
equal institutional support, but excluding vast administrative territories
risks sending a damaging signal that educational dedication in neglected areas
is treated as secondary. Such systemic exclusions alienate devoted educators
who work under challenging conditions in outlying districts without
recognition.
In a fragile social landscape that urgently demands trust and cohesion, administrative decisions must be held to the highest standards of neutrality and fairness. Broad public confidence cannot be built when state-level recognition feels heavily skewed toward specific urban centres while leaving eleven whole administrative zones in the cold. A truly inclusive approach would actively ensure that merit is recognized transparently and proportionally from every corner of Manipur’s 16 districts. In future, the government must review its selection mechanisms to guarantee that state honours celebrate excellence right across the state. Transparent benchmarks must be established to restore institutional integrity and ensure every region receives fair consideration. Institutional equity is not merely a political ideal; it is a fundamental prerequisite for unity and public faith. Bypassing entire populations only serves to deepen existing divisions, leading the public to question whether these omissions were born of sheer administrative negligence or a deliberate policy of exclusion. The citizens and educators of these neglected districts deserve a clear answer.
~ Zogam Today | Editorial | 06.09.2026
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