Shillong, April 3: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has urged the Committee on Reforms in the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) to incorporate its 20-point charter of demands into the panel’s forthcoming recommendations to the state government.

In a letter to the Committee’s Chairman and Commissioner & Secretary, F.R. Kharkongor, the Union emphasized the need to bring transparency, accountability, and fairness into the state’s recruitment processes.

The KSU stated that while the MPSC is the apex recruitment authority in Meghalaya, it lacks essential guidelines and technological integration. It welcomed the formation of the committee as a step in the right direction but expressed concern over the mushrooming of other recruitment boards that operate without proper rules or oversight. These boards, the Union claimed, follow arbitrary procedures, and even some departments conduct their own recruitments without accountability or adherence to formal guidelines.

As a key example, the Union pointed to the Meghalaya Medical Service Recruitment Board (MMSRB), citing the 2024 recruitment process for 164 staff nurses as deeply flawed. According to the Union, the process was riddled with irregularities, including defective question papers, answer keys, and multiple contradictory results. The Union claimed that the absence of recruitment rules and the lack of expertise among board members—many of whom were overburdened doctors from the Directorate of Health Services—led to a chaotic and unjust selection process.

The KSU argued that the establishment of any recruitment board must be backed by well-defined rules and high standards to prevent corruption, nepotism, and injustice to applicants. It further suggested that the reforms recommended by the committee should also apply to other recruitment boards and District Selection Committees to ensure uniformity across all government hiring processes. The Union maintained that departments should not be allowed to conduct recruitments for their own posts and that only designated, competent authorities should oversee such processes to maintain impartiality.

The Union also raised concerns over high examination fees charged by MPSC, DSC, and other boards, often amounting to ₹500 or more per application. It highlighted that while central recruitment agencies offer fee concessions or complete waivers for Scheduled Tribe applicants, Meghalaya—where the majority of candidates belong to ST communities—continues to charge steep fees. This, it said, places an unfair burden on applicants from economically weaker sections and discourages them from applying.

Additionally, the KSU criticized the lack of inclusivity in the state’s recruitment processes for differently abled candidates. While reservations exist on paper, there are no clear guidelines to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities in examinations. The Union called on the government to ensure reasonable accommodation, tools, and equipment to create a level playing field, citing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 as a necessary framework for inclusive hiring.

The Union acknowledged some recent improvements following its protests in August 2024, including faster exam schedules and the provision of answer keys. However, it maintained that serious anomalies continue. It cited the recruitment of an ineligible candidate for the post of Assistant Public Prosecutor and irregularities in the hiring of a Typist (HOD), where the Commission allegedly violated the Meghalaya Directorate Establishment (Ministerial) Service Rules, 2010. These examples, it said, demonstrate that unless significant reforms are implemented within the MPSC and other recruitment bodies, such issues will persist.

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