The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) informed the Delhi High Court that it would allow candidates from the hill districts of Manipur, who have selected Imphal as their examination center, to change it.
The state government will facilitate their travel. Such candidates can opt for any center in Aizawl, Mizoram; Kohima, Nagaland; Shillong, Meghalaya; Dispur, Assam; Jorhat, Assam; Kolkata, West Bengal; or Delhi by requesting a change of examination center via email between April 8 and 19.
This statement was made in response to a petition by the Zomi Students Federation, seeking the establishment of examination centers in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi in the hill districts of Manipur for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2024, and Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2024.
The UPSC stated that since the Manipur government has expressed its inability to open examination centers in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi, it was not feasible to operate examination venues there for the UPSC examination.
The court, in its order, noted that the Manipur government has decided to provide financial assistance in the form of reimbursement of conveyance fare, limited to the maximum of 2nd class sleeper railway fare rates or notified bus fare rates of the State, as well as for food and accommodation at the rate of Rs 1,000 per day for three days at the maximum.
In case of any need, candidates from these districts can contact the Commission’s toll-free helpline number 1800118711, added the court.
Closing the proceedings on the petition, the court “accepted” the statements and assurances given by the Commission as well as by the State of Manipur and said they would be held bound by the same.
Manipur experienced violence in May 2023 over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes. This order led to rampant ethnic clashes. Since the ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status, more than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured.
