On the first day of the Class XII Examination 2026 conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM), tensions escalated at the Wabagai Higher Secondary School examination centre in Kakching district. Reports indicated that some students tore up answer scripts, attendance sheets, and admit cards, subsequently setting them on fire. This incident took place during the English paper examination, attended by 224 candidates from the Langmeidong Higher Secondary School.
To maintain order, a COHSEM flying squad and authorized CSO teams were present at the centre. After the examination concluded, a group of students allegedly re-entered the campus, approaching the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the centre to request additional time to complete their exams due to fears of failing. When the OC denied the request, citing examination regulations, some students reacted violently, leading to the destruction of examination materials near the gate.
In response to the chaos, the Officer-in-Charge of Hiyanglam Police Station promptly arrived to restore order, followed by Kakching district’s Superintendent of Police, Priyadarshini Laishram, along with two Additional Superintendents of Police and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer. They successfully controlled the situation.
The incident drew strong condemnation from local organizations, including the Citizens Association for Rural Development (CARD), Wabagai, and the Social and Economic Development Organisation (SEDO), Hiyanglam. Nameorakpam Binanta, Games and Sports Secretary of CARD Wabagai, expressed disappointment over such disruptions at examination venues and urged cooperation among stakeholders to prevent future occurrences during the examinations. Both organizations appealed to students to refrain from engaging in disruptive actions and to uphold discipline to ensure the examination process can proceed without further incident.