Activists from the Khasi Students’ Union-KSU staged a dramatic protest by burning copies of replies from the Meghalaya Public Service Commission-MPSC during a sit-in at the commission’s office. This demonstration followed the end of a 48-hour ultimatum that the KSU had set for the MPSC to address perceived irregularities in the civil service recruitment process.
KSU Employment Monitoring Cell chairman Reuben Najiar spearheaded the protest. He voiced frustration with the MPSC’s handling of their grievances. In an act of defiance, the protesters destroyed and set fire to the commission’s replies, declaring their intention to maintain the protest until their demands are addressed.
In a subsequent meeting with the MPSC chairman, a KSU delegation discussed their concerns. The commission agreed to release the marks of all candidates who took the Meghalaya Civil Service or MCS Preliminary Examination by the evening.
The KSU raised issues regarding the Meghalaya Police Service (MPS) examination, questioning the MPSC’s deviation from the advertised candidate-to-interview ratio of 1:2.5. They noted that fewer candidates than expected were called for interviews.
Additionally, the KSU challenged the MPSC’s decision to announce results for two positions for statistical officers, despite the original advertisement specifying only one post for the Khasi-Jaintia category. While the commission attributed this discrepancy to a clerical error, the KSU remains skeptical.
Najiar stressed the urgent need for reform within the MPSC to prevent such irregularities in the future. The KSU is planning to meet with the state government soon to propose improvements to the commission’s procedures.
