A social activist from Garo Hills has written to the Meghalaya Public Service Commission and sought for the release of the answer key and the disclosure of marks for all candidates who cleared the Meghalaya Civil Services (MCS) Preliminary Examination held on November 4, 2023.
“The MCS Preliminary Examination results were officially declared on December 15, 2023. However, the subsequent announcement of an additional list of candidates seven months later, just two months before the Mains Examination, has raised significant concerns about the integrity and transparency of the examination process. The delay and the timing of this additional list have led to widespread allegations of unfair practices, nepotism, and manipulation, undermining the confidence of candidates and the public in the MPSC,” Cherian Momin said in the letter to the MPSC.
“The concerns are compounded by the recent allegations that three questions in the Preliminary Examination were incorrect. This issue, coupled with the sudden inclusion of additional candidates, has led many to question the fairness of the evaluation process and the legitimacy of the examination results,” he added.
Urging the MPSC to release the answer key for the Preliminary Examination, Momin said that transparency is crucial for several reasons. He cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Union of India vs M Sathia Raj (2022) which stated that disclosure of answer keys is an essential measure to ensure transparency and allow candidates to verify their answers.
“This will help in addressing concerns related to the alleged mistakes in the examination and provide clarity on the evaluation process,” he said.
In addition to the release of the answer key, Momin also requested the MPSC to disclose the marks of all candidates who cleared the Preliminary Examination.
In another letter to the MPSC, Momin expressed serious concerns regarding the selection process for the Meghalaya Police Service (MPS) under the Home (Police) Department, as advertised on August 2, 2019.
Momin urged that the recruitment process must strictly adhere to the ratio specified in the 2019 advertisement, ensuring a selection ratio of 1:10 to 1:2.5 for the personal interview stage. “This adherence is crucial to maintaining fairness and consistency in the selection procedure,” he said.
“Considering the discrepancy in the number of selected candidates, it is requested to increase the number of candidates selected for the personal interview to align with the prescribed ratio. This adjustment will ensure that the minimum number of candidates required for the interview stage is met and will address the shortfall observed in the current selection,” he said.
To address the concerns and ensure a fair selection process, Momin requested the MPSC to postpone the personal interview stage until the issues related to the recruitment ratio, question paper leakage, and transparency are resolved.
He also urged the MPSC to display the results of the written examinations by category, including the name, roll number, and result sheet for all candidates. This according to him would enhance transparency and allow candidates to review their performance and the fairness of the selection process.
