“Community engagement and service, environmental education, and value-based education will be an integral part of the curriculum.”
–National Education Policy 2020
Across many regions, higher academic institutions are often seen as centres of learning that remain within the boundaries of classrooms and campuses. Their role is frequently limited to teaching, examinations, and degrees, while their potential to contribute directly to society remains underutilized. In reality, these institutions hold the capacity to become active partners in addressing local challenges, supporting development, and strengthening communities when there is a conscious effort to connect knowledge with real world needs.
In a place like Ukhrul, where land, identity, and community life are deeply interconnected, higher academic institutions exist because of the support and contribution of the people. In many instances, it is the community that provides land and space for these institutions to be established and to grow. This foundational contribution creates a natural relationship of responsibility and shared purpose between society and academic institutions, as these institutions stand on land that belongs to the people and carry a collective expectation to serve the community.
This relationship calls for a clear recognition of shared ownership. Academic institutions carry the responsibility to extend their role beyond teaching and contribute to social development, while society also has a meaningful role in actively using the knowledge, skills, and human resources available within these institutions. Professors and students represent a powerful intellectual resource that can contribute to solving local issues through informed, structured, and practical approaches.
Ukhrul continues to face a range of structural and developmental challenges shaped by its geography, demography, and economic structure. With a low population density of around 40 persons per square kilometre and a predominantly rural population, service delivery and infrastructure expansion remain difficult across widely dispersed settlements. Connectivity gaps affect mobility, access to markets, and timely delivery of essential services. The district’s economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture, with a large proportion of the working population engaged in cultivation, which limits diversification and reduces economic resilience. Youth unemployment, especially among educated individuals, reflects a continuing gap between formal education and employable skills. Healthcare access, environmental vulnerability, and uneven development indicators further add to the complexity of local challenges.
These realities highlight the importance of solutions that emerge from within the district through approaches that are informed, evidence based, and grounded in local conditions. Academic institutions are uniquely positioned to contribute in this direction through field-based research, data generation, and context-specific innovation. Their involvement can support better understanding of local problems and enable practical interventions that respond directly to community needs.
This is where the role of society becomes important. The connection between community and academic institutions gains strength when there is active engagement. When communities take initiative, colleges and universities can function as partners in development. This can begin with practical steps such as involving faculty in local discussions, engaging students in surveys and fieldwork, and building collaborative efforts around specific local issues.
This approach also aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasizes experiential learning, community engagement, and socially relevant research. The policy encourages higher education institutions to integrate fieldwork, service-learning, and local problem-solving into academic processes. It supports a system where education is closely connected to society and where institutions contribute directly to development outcomes.
The need for such engagement becomes even more evident when viewed through lived experience. I am fortunate enough to spend significant time with both elders and youth within Tangkhul society, and these interactions offer a deeper understanding of the district’s realities, aspirations, and challenges. These engagements reveal not only lived experiences but also practical insights into local issues that often remain unaddressed in formal discussions. It becomes clear that while knowledge exists within communities and academic institutions alike, there remains a gap in bringing these strengths together in a structured and purposeful way. There is a visible willingness among the youth to contribute and among the elders to guide, and this potential can be meaningfully strengthened when connected with the knowledge, research, and support available within local academic institutions. This observation extends beyond one district, as similar conditions exist in many regions. The difference lies in how communities choose to act with the resources already present among them. Having travelled across different parts of Ukhrul, it is clear that the district holds both deep challenges and strong potential. This observation extends beyond one district, as similar conditions exist in many regions. The difference lies in how communities choose to act with the resources already present among them.
Local academic institutions remain one of the important strengths within society. They are built on community land, sustained by public support, and filled with individuals capable of critical thinking and innovation. When these institutions are actively engaged, they can contribute to areas such as agriculture improvement, water management, entrepreneurship, education quality, and public health awareness in ways that are practical and sustainable.
Such collaboration strengthens development outcomes and the social fabric. It supports better local governance by enabling evidence-based planning and more effective implementation of development initiatives. It also allows for the integration of indigenous knowledge with academic research, creating solutions that are culturally grounded and environmentally sustainable.
There is also a need to institutionalize this collaboration so that it becomes consistent and not occasional. Village authorities, civil society organizations, and academic institutions can work towards creating structured platforms for engagement such as community research cells, local advisory groups, and student-led development initiatives. Regular interaction, defined roles, and shared goals can ensure continuity and measurable outcomes. When such mechanisms are in place, the partnership between society and academic institutions becomes more organized, accountable, and capable of producing long-term impact.
At the same time, this engagement shapes students into socially aware individuals who understand their own communities. It builds responsibility, practical understanding, and a sense of purpose, ensuring that education contributes not only to personal advancement but also to collective progress.
The resources we often look for outside already exist within our own institutions.
A strong and sustained connection between society and academic institutions creates a shared pathway for progress in Ukhrul and beyond. Knowledge should not remain inside classrooms when the community itself has made these institutions possible. The responsibility now lies in using what already exists among us. When villages, youth, and local leaders begin to actively engage with colleges, professors, and students, change becomes visible and practical. Development then becomes a collective effort shaped by our own participation, strengthened by knowledge, and carried forward by a shared sense of responsibility.
Dr. Aniruddha Babar
(Dr. Aniruddha Babar is a Senior Academician, Public Policy Expert & Social Development Specialist, Writer, and Researcher currently serving in the Department of Political Science, St. Joseph College, Ukhrul, Manipur. He is also the Co-Founder and Deputy Director of the Centre for North-East Development and Policy Research (CNEDPR), St. Joseph College, Manipur.)
(The views and opinions in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Rural Post)
