How Pettigrew College became the lifeline of higher education in Ukhrul

Ukhrul: Over the past decade, the quality of education across the Northeast region has improved drastically. Or so it would seem if one visits only capital cities. Move away from centres of power, and from education to healthcare; it is often just one institute holding the region together.

Take education, for example. Despite two years of ethnic conflict, Imphal, the capital of Manipur, boasts several reputed colleges and universities. But what if one travelled two hours outside of the capital? The situation changes drastically. In the Naga Hills of Manipur, one educational institution has, for decades, been the cornerstone of Naga education: Pettigrew College.

The college, named after British Baptist missionary Reverend William Pettigrew, has played a pioneering role in introducing modern education to the Tangkhul Naga areas and surrounding regions. So, when the college recently completed sixty years, we thought it was only fair to take a look at its journey.  

Established in 1965 as a private, co-educational institution, Pettigrew College is the second-oldest college in Manipur and the oldest institution of higher education in Ukhrul district.

The college began its journey with a modest enrolment of just 23 students, functioning as a night college and operating from borrowed classrooms at Ukhrul Higher Secondary School.

With limited infrastructure and minimal resources, the institution was sustained largely through community effort and commitment during its formative years. In 1977, Pettigrew College was taken over by the Government of Manipur, marking a significant milestone in its institutional history.

Situated at Meizailung (Phungrei), approximately 7 km from Ukhrul town and nearly 90 km from Imphal, the college today spans over 26 acres of land.

Despite its remote location in the hill district, Pettigrew College has continued to serve as a crucial gateway to higher education for generations of students. Recently, the institution commemorated its 60-year journey of educational service under the theme ‘From Roots to Radiance’, reflecting both its humble origins and its enduring role in the region.

How a community laid foundations for higher education

It is impossible to talk about Pettigrew College without the community it serves. Over the decades, it has played a vital role in expanding access to higher education for students from the hill districts, particularly from the Tangkhul Naga community. For many families, the college has been the only viable pathway to pursue undergraduate studies without leaving the district.

According to Dr Ringkahao Horam, the principal of Pettigrew College, the institution functioned as a private college from its inception in 1965 until 1977.

He noted that the transition from a private institution to a government college took place during the tenure of Yangmaso Shaiza as Chief Minister of Manipur, whose intervention was instrumental in securing the takeover.

H Paul, a Bengali by origin, served as the first principal of Pettigrew College, though his tenure lasted only a few months. In 1966, PR Yangkahao succeeded him as principal and served until 1985, overseeing the early consolidation of the institution.

Over the past 60 years, Pettigrew College has had seventeen successive principals, each contributing in different ways to the growth, survival and influence in the hill district.

Dr Horam emphasised that the institution’s six-decade journey has been marked by both achievements and persistent challenges. He pointed out that due to unresolved land issues and chronic fund shortage, the college was unable to celebrate either its Silver Jubilee or Golden Jubilee. Against this background, the 60th anniversary holds particular significance.

“Despite many difficulties, today the college is witnessing a historic milestone,” Dr Horam said, describing the anniversary as a moment of triumph achieved through sacrifice, unity and collective perseverance.

The principal also expressed deep gratitude to the 25 land donors whose selfless decision to donate land for educational purposes six decades ago laid the foundation for the college campus.

Their contribution, he said, has played a transformative role in empowering generations through access to higher education.

The origins of Pettigrew College can be traced to the early 1960s, when a small group of community leaders recognised the urgent need for a college in the Ukhrul district.

Sirawung Ragui, son of the late L Ragui—the first chairman of Pettigrew College—recounted how the idea took shape within local households long before it became an institution.

“I was in Class 6 when my father and a few others from our community often held meetings at our Awontang home to discuss starting a college,” Ragui recalled. “They were worried that many youths would be forced to drop out of their studies if there was no college in the district, because most families could not afford to send their children outside for further education.”

Ragui explained that his father, who was the longest-serving headmaster of Ukhrul Higher Secondary School, regularly witnessed students returning home after enrolling in colleges outside the district.

Financial constraints, distance and lack of support often forced them to discontinue their studies midway. These experiences strengthened L Ragui’s resolve to establish a college locally.

Determined to bring higher education closer to home, L Ragui and several like-minded individuals began mobilising community support as early as 1962. Their efforts culminated on August 16, 1963, when the first and historic Pettigrew College Committee was formally constituted.

The committee consisted of 14 members, with L. Ragui serving as the first chairman. H Hongray and Ahao Luikham were appointed as secretary and treasurer, respectively. This modest but committed group of pioneers laid the institutional groundwork for what would later become a landmark centre of higher education in the Ukhrul district.

Sixty years on: growth and unresolved constraints

Today, Pettigrew College is among the select ten institutions in Manipur offering four-year BA and BSc programmes under the National Education Policy (NEP). This academic expansion marks an important step in aligning the college with national higher education reforms.

However, despite its long legacy and academic significance, Pettigrew College continues to function “just as a college” even after six decades. As the lone government college in the Ukhrul district, it faces persistent infrastructure challenges that have remained largely unaddressed over the years.

Many of the existing buildings and facilities on campus are in urgent need of renovation and modernisation. The ongoing construction of a new academic block and 100-bedded hostels for both boys and girls has been plagued by repeated delays and concerns regarding the quality of construction work.

According to Dr Horam, the college is grappling with acute shortages of both classrooms and teaching staff. With more than 1,000 students currently enrolled, the lack of adequate classroom space has forced classes to be conducted inside the unfinished academic block.

Hostel accommodation remains another pressing concern. At present, around 140 students are crammed into ageing hostel buildings while awaiting the completion of new facilities. Dr Horam noted that many students come from far-flung villages and cannot afford daily transportation to and from the college.

Due to a shortage of sanctioned posts, Pettigrew College currently employs ten teaching and non-teaching staff members from its own funds. In addition, nine teaching staff and three non-teaching staff have been hired directly by the institution to manage academic and administrative needs. In total, around 60 faculty members are currently managing both the Arts and Science departments.

Dr Horam also explained that under NEP norms, subjects without practical components require a minimum of six teachers, while subjects involving practicals must have at least eight teaching staff. Meeting these requirements has remained a challenge.

Transportation difficulties continue to affect students as well. In addition to a 17-seater minibus issued by the government, the college has purchased a used bus on an instalment basis to support student mobility. However, due to the large student population, each bus must make three trips in the morning and three in the evening.

“Students on the last trip often miss the college assembly in the morning,” Dr Horam said. He added that many students come from economically weaker backgrounds, and daily taxi fares ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 120 are simply unaffordable for them.

An unfinished promise for the future

Reiterating that human capital is the most vital resource of any nation, Ukhrul AC MLA Ram Muivah underscored the importance of sustained investment in education while speaking to EastMojo.

Drawing a comparison with Singapore, Muivah noted that the country, once a modest fishing village with limited natural resources, transformed itself into one of the world’s most advanced nations by prioritising education and building world-class physical infrastructure.

From the outset, Singapore allocated nearly 15 per cent of its national budget to education, Muivah said. In contrast, he lamented that India invests barely 2 per cent, stressing that much more needs to be done to improve the education sector, particularly in remote and hill regions like Ukhrul.

Muivah emphasised the need to transform Pettigrew College into a cradle of innovation and a centre of excellence in the hills. He urged the government to urgently address the physical infrastructure deficits affecting education in the Ukhrul district and stressed that investing in education and skill development is essential for the overall progress of the Tangkhul region.

Human resource development, he said, is fundamental to national growth, and education remains the key to building and sustaining that resource. To advance the Ukhrul district, Muivah reiterated the need to strengthen Pettigrew College as a model institution capable of producing skilled and capable graduates.

The long and often difficult journey of institutional leadership at Pettigrew College is reflected in the experiences of Khanot Ruivah, now 87, who served as the college principal on four separate occasions. Recounting his early days at the institution, Ruivah recalled that he had to begin from scratch, both in terms of campus development and administration.

“When I first joined, the college was in a very poor state,” Ruivah said. “The premises were covered with bushes. I, along with the caretaker of the college, had to literally do the weeding and sweep the classrooms.”

Before joining Pettigrew College, Ruivah had served as a Senior Lecturer—equivalent to an Associate Professor—in the Economics Department at Churachandpur College. A native of Somdal village, he served as principal during four different terms: from December 1985 to October 1991; April 1993 to June 1993; May 1995 to December 1995; and September 1997 to February 2003.

At the time of his initial posting, the college offered only an Arts stream. Recognising the limitations this posed for students, Ruivah approached the then Chief Minister Rishang Keishing and the higher education department with a request to introduce Science courses.

“The following year, alongside the Arts stream, we introduced the Science stream with four honours subjects—Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology,” Ruivah recalled. This marked a significant academic expansion for the institution.

Ruivah also highlighted the severe infrastructural challenges the college faced during his tenure. The campus had no electricity connection, a situation he brought to the attention of the department. As a result, a dedicated transformer was installed for the college. Water scarcity was another major issue. To address this, Ruivah secured a water drilling machine and installed several handpumps to ensure a reliable water supply.

Transportation posed yet another obstacle. Since the college is located about 8 km from Ukhrul town, many students and even teaching staff struggled with regular attendance. “Recognising this situation, I requested the authorities and arranged a bus service to facilitate transportation for both students and staff,” Ruivah said.

“There were fewer than 50 students when I was first posted, but later the number increased and even surpassed a thousand,” he reminisced. He acknowledged that his insistence on regular classes and strict attendance rules was not always popular among students and colleagues. “Many were unhappy with me, but I was determined to revive higher education in our community,” he said.

Discussing administrative challenges in earlier decades, Ruivah recalled that there was no internet connectivity. Urgent communication was handled through a landline installed in the principal’s office. “For paperwork, I had to frequently travel down to Imphal to process documents,” he said. Fortunately, he added, transportation was manageable at the time as he had access to a Maruti car and a Gypsy vehicle issued by the government.

According to Dr Ringkahao Horam, the present principal, financial constraints continue to burden the institution even today. For nearly all paperwork and official matters, staff members are still required to travel to Imphal at the college’s expense to process documents, adding to recurring costs.

To manage understaffing, the college has hired nine additional teaching staff and three non-teaching staff using its own funds. With these appointments, the institution now has around 60 faculty members managing both Arts and Science departments, Dr Horam said.

Despite these efforts, hostel shortages continue to hurt students. Many students still face daily transportation challenges due to the lack of adequate accommodation on campus. In addition to the government-issued 17-seater minibus, the college has purchased a used bus on instalments to support student travel.

However, due to the large number of students, each bus must make three trips in the morning and another three in the evening.

“Students on the last trip often miss the morning assembly,” Dr Horam said. He added that many students come from economically disadvantaged families, and the daily taxi expenses of Rs 100 to Rs 120 are not affordable.

Recently, Naorem Praveen Singh, Secretary of Minority Affairs & YAS, Government of Manipur, assured that the ongoing construction of the new academic block and hostels for both boys and girls at Pettigrew College would be completed by December 2025. He made this assurance during his campus inspection on September 25, 2025.

During the visit, Praveen expressed dissatisfaction with both the quality and pace of the construction work. After inspecting the site along with technical staff, he said he had issued specific instructions to the workers and contractors to address the deficiencies.

“We have instructed the contractors to engage more workers and complete the buildings by the last week of December,” he said. “Immediately after completion, the buildings will be handed over to the Department of Higher Education so that classes can be conducted in the new academic block.”

Praveen stated that meetings would be held with the concerned contractors and assured that no compromise would be made on quality. He attributed earlier delays to law and order issues in the state but expressed confidence that construction would resume in full swing, particularly with the arrival of the dry season.

Official documents reveal that the construction of the academic block and main gate project, estimated at nearly Rs 15 crore (Rs 14,98,15,250), was awarded on December 4, 2021, to Y Sunil Singh of Keishamthong Thangjam Leirak, Imphal West, by the Manipur Minorities and OBC Economic Development Society (MOBEDS).

The construction of the 100-bedded boys’ hostel, with a tender value of Rs 7.14 crore, and a 100-bedded girls’ hostel of the same amount, was awarded to another contractor. As per the contract, the work was to be completed within 18 months.

The double-storey academic block comprises over 50 rooms designed to accommodate classrooms, seminar halls, laboratories and staff rooms. The structure includes A Block, B Block and C Block (Southern), as well as B Block and C Block (Northern).

The milestone 60th anniversary, celebrated under the theme ‘From Roots to Radiance’, thus became not only a moment of reflection and pride, but also an occasion for the community and stakeholders to renew their call for improved infrastructure and adequate resources.

Despite the government’s assurances, Dr Horam stated that construction has currently been halted due to non-payment of workers by the contractors.

As Pettigrew College moves forward beyond its 60th year, its legacy of educational empowerment remains firmly rooted in community sacrifice and resilience. However, bridging the persistent infrastructure gaps will be crucial if the institution is to continue serving future generations with the same spirit and dedication that defined its first six decades.

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