The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) today met NEIGRIHMS Director Prof Nalin Mehta to express its resentment over the ongoing recruitment process for Group B and C posts in the institute.
According to the pressure group, it was livid to learn that most of the candidates belonging from the indigenous community of Meghalaya who have applied for various posts have been directed to sit their examination in other centres in other states.
“There is a strong sense of bitter feeling among the local indigenous candidates that their centres were intentionally and deliberately given in other states so as to devoid them from the opportunity and to cater the non-local, non-indigenous candidates for such post(s),” KSU general secretary Donald Thabah said in a letter.
This is not the first time that this has happened and the union said that it cannot allow it to be a precedent.
The KSU has appealed to the appropriate authorities that most of the candidates from the state come from an economically weaker section and it is not possible for them to travel to other states to sit examinations and, therefore, this imposition denies them equal opportunity.
Moreover, the students’ body said that there are only a few days between the date of issuance of admit cards and the date of examination and managing travel in these circumstances is a herculean task.
Secondly, the KSU stated that there are candidate(s) who have applied for multiple post(s) in Grade B and C and all the examinations are on the same date and time, making it impossible for them to sit for more than one.
The union said that since they have applied and paid the examination fees, the examinees ought to be given an opportunity to attempt all examinations.
NEIGRIHMS should conduct its own examination instead of outsourcing it to other companies because there is always room for discrepancies and such issues mentioned above are always common with the companies from other states because they would not understand the opinions and views of the people of Meghalaya, the KSU opined.
It also urged that preference should be given to local indigenous tribals of Meghalaya for any post(s) if the candidate is eligible and NEIGRIHMS authorities should also prefer locals in unreserved categories.