Khasi Students Union Urges MPSC Reforms Panel to Ensure Transparency in Job Recruitment

Shillong, April 3: The Khasi Students Union (KSU) today requested the Committee on Reforms in the Meghalaya Public Services Commission (MPSC) to consider its twenty-point charter to ensure transparency and fair job recruitment, in its recommendations, which will be submitted to the state government very soon.

In a letter to the commissioner and secretary and chairman of the committee, FR Kharkongor, the KSU said, “Thus, the Union would humbly like to request you that the ‘Twenty-Point Charter’ mentioned by the Union and the above following points to be considered to bring about a positive change in the recruitment process of the State.”

Highlighting the twenty points, the KSU said that the MPSC is the apex recruiting authority in the State but lacks basic guidelines and technological integration and needs reform. 

“Constituting this Committee is a step towards that reform and change. But at present in Meghalaya, there are also other recruitment boards mushrooming which have worse policies and no transparency or accountability. These recruitment boards are not guided by any rules and regulations and functions as per their own perspective and logic,” kit also said.

Likewise, there are also departments who conduct their own recruitments, interviews without any rules or any fear for accountability, the KSU added.

The KSU then cited Meghalaya Medical Service  Recruitment Board (MMSRB) as an example and said in September 2024 the result of the 164 staff nurses was declared by the Board which was totally flawed. “There were multiple results that were published filled with anomalies and discrepancies. The questions, the answer keys were all defective and in totality the recruitment process was in turmoil”, it stated. 

The KSU then said it had to intervene in the matter and upon proper analysis, it came to light that there was no recruitment rules or regulations, members of the boards were headed by government officials but the workload of the recruitment was totally dump on the doctors of DHS who are not experts in this field for recruitment process and who are already overburden by office works. 

The KSO further said it is of the opinion that while setting up any recruitment board, highest standard guidelines, rules, process, etc., are to be kept for consideration else it would be an injustice to the applicants/ aspirants and it will pave way to corruption and nepotism. 

“Thus, the Union would like to suggest that the recommendations made out from this Committee must extend to these recruitment boards if they are found useful to continue and as well as to the District Selection Committees so as to have a uniformity in the recruitment rules and there will be no deviation in the selection process. The Union would also like to suggest that recruitment cannot be done by the department itself for itself and must be done only by designated authorities who are fit and competent for such a task to avoid nepotism and corruption,” the KSU added.

Also read | Scrapping of FMR, a Final Betrayal of Naga Sovereignty: Prof. Rosemary Dzuvichu

Further, the KSU also expressed that the examination fees conducted by MPSC, DSC and different recruitment boards are expensive. Applicants need to pay an amount of rupees five hundred or more for any particular post that they apply for.  

There has to be a limit to the fees required by the applicant to pay so as it does not affect the lower income group and devoid them of opportunities from applying, it suggested.

The KSU also also highlighted that differently abled people lack support of the Government when it comes to employment opportunities. 

“Although there are reservations for differently abled people in the government sector, there are no guidelines as to allow such people to be able to give such examinations”, it further said. 

“Reasonable accommodation is needed to be provided along with necessary tools and equipment to ensure that they are on equal footing with the rest. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 must be considered by the Government in ensuring equal opportunities to differently abled people,” it also said.

The KSU then stated that, after the protest and agitations carried by the Union in August, 2024 against MPSC, the Union has observed speedy process of examination and declaration of results which lack over the years, answer keys are being provided to the applicants and there are other minor changes. 

“But even with these changes there are again a lot of blunders and anomalies in the recruitment process. The union can cite certain examples; as in the case of recruitment for the post of Asst. Public Prosecutor, an ineligible candidate is selected without any experience which makes candidate challenge the process in the court of law, for the recruitment of the post of Typist (HOD), the Commission deviated from their original advertisement and went against the existing rule of Meghalaya Directorate Establishment (Ministerial) Service Rules, 2010 which sparks another controversy of nepotism,” it said while adding that these matters will not change unless major reforms are brought in the Commission and the other recruitment boards.

(Newmai News Network)