Editor,
Taking a cue from the statement made by the MPSC Secretary (ST, 3rd May, 2018), I am very interested to know as to how the marks of candidates are being provided. My contemporaries and I had appeared in numerous MPSC screening exams and personal interviews as well. However, till date, there had never been a single time when any of us got to know the marks we secured even though we really wanted to know how we fared. Upon enquiring the MPSC staff informed us that the only way we’d get to see our marks and ‘only our own’ is through RTI applications. This raises many questions because knowing only my marks will not help me in any case, that also after going through the hassle of RTI application. The issue at hand is why do we have to file an RTI when the only thing we want to know is the marks of us the candidates? Isn’t that our basic right?
The MPSC Chairman, in his letter, “From the Chairman’s desk”, mentioned that there are many who do not wish the public to view their marks even if it is displayed roll number wise. My question is, how true is this? Don’t we all want to know of our performance? I am not trying to draw the exact comparisons, but the Staff Selection Commission publically displays the marks of all the candidates (along with names) despite having to conduct various exams (SSC CGL/CHSL/Junior Engineers’/Stenographers’/CAPF etc.,) involving lakhs of aspiring candidates. Also, in these days of employment crunch it may be noted that the same candidates are appearing in the various exams conducted by the MPSC. Adding to this, recently the NIT Meghalaya had conducted various recruitment exams whereby results were declared along with the marks of thousands of aspiring candidates of our State. Hence, it is hard to comprehend the actual reasons behind the statement.
At the same time, we the candidates do not even know the marks secured in the personal interviews. This also directly questions the integrity of the MPSC recruitments. Another problematic issue is the ratio of the number of vacancies to the number of successful-screened-candidates. Sometimes the number of vacant posts are few but far too many candidates are shortlisted for the interviews. On the other hand, there was an instance where for two vacant posts two candidates were shortlisted for the interview. If one takes keen interest on the result of the MPSC exams one would find far too many inconsistencies and discrepancies.
Nevertheless, we humbly request the Commission to take baby steps to at least make known the cut off marks of each exam and to display the marks of the successful candidates. We do understand that it may be difficult for the Commission to change the ways it has functioned all these years. However, times have changed and we expect the MPSC recruitment to be more transparent.
Yours etc.,
Batskhem Susngi,
Via email
Honouring the Marathon Man
Editor,
Apropos the news item “CM welcomes world record creating marathon” (ST May 28, 2018), and “Sohra Marathon to resume on August 25” (ST May 29, 2018), I wish to point out that Shillong is home to the Marathon Man of India, Dr. Ashis Roy in the Record creating marathon. Though the name of Dr. Ashis Roy is not known to many but he was born on June 1, 1932 in Shillong and grew up here. Roy did his schooling at Govt Boy’s High School and Intermediate Science at St. Edmund’s College both at Shillong before pursuing Medical Studies (MBBS) at Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh and finally completing his MD (Medicine) at Pune University. He joined the Indian Air Force in 1957 and retired from the service as Wing Commander in 1978. Thereafter he practiced privately as consultant physician and cardiologist at Delhi where he is presently settled.
It may also be mentioned here that his father late Sudhasindhu Roy was one of the founder members of the undivided Assam Football Association, Shillong. He landed in this field as a runner for the first time at Shillong in the year 1949 when he was just 16. It was a one-mile race. At that time, perhaps the Shillong boy never thought that his first one-mile race would open the door of immense opportunity for the runner in him. His education and medical career helped him too to serve humanity. His sporting took him beyond where he could do the job more profoundly by making his body as a specimen. He completed 115 marathon races and the Mumbai Marathon, in January 20, 2013, which is a National record for men in India –“Limca Book of Records. The following records are yet to be broken:-
- Only Asian to have run the three Marathon Races in USA on three consecutive Sundays
- First man above 70 yrs to run two marathons on two consecutive Sundays at Prague and Vienna
- Only man above 70 (seventy) yrs to run three marathons within a span of six weeks.
I request the organizers of the forthcoming Rotary Sohra Marathon; School & College authorities of Govt. Boys School & St. Edmund’s College and all well-wishers if they could arrange to invite Dr Ashish Roy here to his birth place on this occasion so that the Sohra Marathon is prominently featured in the national and local media and also to give due recognition to this esteemed runner.
Yours etc.,
Amit Gupta
Via email