Shillong, Oct 4: The Meghalaya Medical Service Recruitment Board (MMSRB) has firmly rejected allegations made by job aspirants and pressure groups regarding irregularities in the recruitment results for the positions of Staff Nurse and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM).
Denying any wrongdoing in the selection process, MMSRB Member Secretary Dr. L. Mylliem Umlong said the recruitment process was initiated under Advertisement No. HSM/MMSRB/Nursing/12/24/19, issued on July 30, 2024, detailing 164 vacancies for Staff Nurses and 78 for ANMs, including the qualifications and age relaxation criteria according to the State Reservation Policy.
In response, the board received 5,603 applications for Staff Nurse positions and 706 for ANM roles.
Admit cards were issued without any prior document verification, in line with the Office Memorandum No. PER/(AR) 25/2022/Pt/23, which mandates that such verification occur only after candidates pass the written examination.
Following the written test, the MMSRB shortlisted 495 candidates for the Staff Nurse positions and 263 for ANM roles based solely on merit, ensuring that the number of shortlisted candidates was three times the number of available vacancies. This approach accounts for potential issues with documentation and aligns with the board’s goal of filling all vacancies within the current year.
In light of the allegations regarding irregularities, Dr. Umlong stated, “After publishing the shortlisted candidates, objections were raised, primarily that the list was not categorized according to the State Reservation Policy.” The MMSRB responded by releasing a revised list that categorized candidates and included the marks obtained by each.
Despite these efforts, further discontent led to a meeting with the Health Minister, resulting in a notification issued on September 30, 2024. This announcement outlined the decision to publish the roll numbers and marks of all candidates in descending order, allowing individuals to submit formal complaints to the Grievance Cell. Dr. Umlong reiterated that document verification would only be conducted for candidates who qualify based on the available vacancies, and in cases of incomplete documentation, the next eligible candidate would be considered.
The board subsequently cancelled the initially published shortlist due to ongoing confusion and queries.
Dr. Umlong explained that some candidates had applied in multiple categories, including a separate sports category, leading to duplicate roll numbers. To address this, the board released a rectified list, but ultimately decided to cancel it again via the September 30 notification to eliminate further misunderstanding. The final list will be released after thorough document verification in accordance with the current vacancies.
The board further clarified that the Roll No. 1040 appeared twice with two different marks in the earlier list, wherein the same was clarified vide corrigendum dated 01.10.2024. the same was corrected to the effect that the roll No.1040 obtaining 60 marks was to be read as 0140, and the 1040 obtained 58 marks.
Regarding accusations that absentee candidates were included in the shortlist for these positions, Dr. Umlong clarified that the issue was raised by a candidate with roll number 0597 from the Khasi-Jaintia category, who claimed her number appeared despite not taking the exam.
She informed that the roll number in question belonged to an ANM candidate from the Garo category who had indeed cleared the examination. The concerned candidate has since provided written clarification regarding the mix-up.
Dr. Umlong further underscored MMSRB commitment to a fair and transparent recruitment process, emphasizing that the appointment of shortlisted candidates is contingent upon successful document verification. She also reiterated that a Grievance Cell has been established, which the aggrieved candidates can reach out to.
Read:Â Simi Khongtiang, Elvachisa Sangma to represent Meghalaya at Busan International Film Festival 2024
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