The Supreme Court has directed the Manipur government to provide Rs 3,000 per day to civil services aspirants from its violence-affected hill districts for traveling outside the state to attend the UPSC Civil Services Examination on May 26.
A bench of bench Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra acknowledged the concerns of civil services aspirants from Manipur’s hill districts, who opted for examination centers outside the state due to safety apprehensions.
“The individuals currently residing in hill districts and applying for the UPSC examination shall receive Rs 3,000 per day per candidate to facilitate their travel outside the state for the examination. Any candidate wishing to avail this benefit should indicate their current location to the nodal officer via the provided email address,” the court stated.
Petition of 140 Aspirants
The apex court addressed a plea on behalf of 140 students seeking a transfer of examination centers outside Manipur. It was revealed during the proceedings that the state government was directed by the high court to provide Rs 1,500 to candidates opting for examination centers outside Manipur.aspirants
“While arranging transportation for all candidates may not be feasible, we believe the allowance ordered by the High Court should be increased to Rs 3,000,” stated the CJI, concluding the plea.
Delhi HC
Earlier, on March 29, the UPSC informed the Delhi High Court that candidates from Manipur’s hill districts opting for Imphal as their examination center could change it, with the state government facilitating their travel. Such aspirants were allowed to choose examination centers in Aizawl, Mizoram; Kohima, Nagaland; Shillong, Meghalaya; Dispur, Assam; Jorhat, Assam; Kolkata, West Bengal; and Delhi, by requesting a change of examination center via email between April 8 and 19.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) clarified that since the Manipur government expressed inability to open examination centers in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, it was not feasible to operate examination venues there for the UPSC examination.
Manipur Violence
Manipur descended into violence in May 2023 following a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes, sparking widespread ethnic clashes. Since then, over 160 people have been killed, and several hundred injured, with ethnic violence erupting initially on May 3 during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organized in the hill districts to protest against the demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the majority Meitei community.
