The state government is concerned by the dismally small number of local tribal candidates who qualify for the central civil services through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations.
Although Meghalaya has seen two aspirants pass the exams in as many years, both of these successful examinees are non-tribals.
There has not been a tribal UPSC success story since 2012 when Isawanda Laloo cleared the exams. Recently, it was also said at an official programme that there have only been two successful candidates from Garo Hills in 50 years.
It is not just civil service exams, Education Minister Rakkam Sangma said, as he pointed out that though tribals have the potential and love for sports, no Meghalayan has played in the cricket or football’s World Cups and this is due to a lack of infrastructure.
Expressing his happiness that 19 candidates from the North East cracked the exam this year, he said that the bottom line is that the standard of education is not upto to the mark.
“We are second to none but there are some gaps and we are working on it. In the near future, we will have good news,” Sangma said while adding that the government has to be more serious so that the state can produce more central officers.
