SOUTH EAST MANIPUR COLLEGE was established on the 2nd January 1981 at Komlathabi in co-operation with the people of Komlathabi area, The South East Manipur College is located at Komlathabi (now known as Kapaam) in Chandel District of Manipur. Komlathabi (Kapaam) is the biggest Moyon village. It is situated on the State High Way No. 10 at a land lock plain area just at two kms from Pallel towards Chandel Head Quarters. It is joined by neighbouring Villages, such as Wangparal (Chothe), Ziontlang (Chothe), Chandonpokpi (Chothe), and Khukthar (Moyon) at the South, Purumchumbang (Chothe), Heigrutampak (Moyon) and Leipungtampak (Lamkang) at the South East, Penaching (Moyon) at the East, Leishokching (Tarao) and Thamlakpokpi (Lamkang) at the North East, Liwachangning (Monsang) and Khuninglung (Maring) at the North West, and Thamlakhuren (Lamkang) at the North. Many other villages of various tribes and communities including Meities of Pallel are there within the five kms radius of Komlathabi.

The College is affiliated to Manipur University in 1983 and was granted permanent Affiliation in 1992. The college has opened courses on both the Arts and Science streams upto the Degree Level and is recognized by the University Grants Commission in 1994 under Section 2(f) and 12(b) of the UGC Act in 1956. Consequently, the college has taken up a number of schemes and projects for the academic and infrastructural growth and development of the college, some of which are the construction of Library Building and acquisition of books and journals, construction of Girls’ Hostel, Teachers’ Quarters, Classrooms, and acquisition of laboratory requirements, computers, Xerox machine, laptops, projectors, generators, etc. with the financial assistance of the UGC.

It is to be noted that the South East Manipur College was to be given recurring grant-in-aid long back in 1987 along with its organizational partner four colleges, namely, (i) Mayai Lambi College, Yumnam Huidrom, Imphal West, (ii) Thambamarik College, Oinam, Bishenpur, (iii) Standard College, Kongba, Imphal East and (iv) Liberal College. However, in the last minute, the South East Manipur College, Komlathabi, was replaced by the United College, Chandel (affiliated in 1987) because it was located in Chandel District Head Quarter.

It is also to be noted that the genuine demand of the college for conversion or full-fledged grant-in-aid was sidelined and much newer colleges like Kakching Khunou College, Umathel, Thoubal, and Jiri College, Jiribam were given full-fledged grant-in-aid. Under these circumstances the college along with Kumbi College, Kumbi, S. Kulla Women’s College,  Nambol, Waikhom Mani Girls’ College, Thoubal and Mangolnganbi College, Ningthoukhong went in for law court for justice deserved. Hence, a court verdict is in force now for extension of full-fledged grant-in-aid to these colleges. The college has been the best in Chandel District in terms of academic performance and annual student enrolment, the average enrolment being around 2000 per academic session.

The Government of Manipur has now extended Grant-in-aid with approved posts; to the college vide its order No. 3/4/2005-HE of dated the 14th December, 2011.