Editor,
The learned American counsel Stuart Bowen Jr. once said, “One day’s delay is another day’s lack of progress.” In the field of public administration and governance, it is said that every unit in the public system has a vital and important role to play to ensure grassroots deliverance of amenities and facilities to the general public at large. In the scheme of governmental hierarchy, a break in the chain or line of command would create havoc in the entire administrative setup and ultimately it is the general public that end up suffering and losing the most.
The Meghalaya Public Service Commission, established under Article 315 of the Constitution, was set up with the mandate of, among other things, to conduct examinations for appointment to the Services of the State of Meghalaya. In essence, it is the constitutional duty of the MPSC to provide able, competent individuals of integrity to serve the Government of Meghalaya under various postings and positions. Among these services of the State of Meghalaya, we have the prestigious Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) In layman’s term, the MCS can be considered as the miniature version of the IAS, for it deals with direct public administration at the state level under the supervision of the IAS officials. In Meghalaya, MCS officers handle extremely important positions that include postings as Block Development Officers, Extra Assistant Commissioners, Under Secretaries, Addl. Deputy Commissioners, Deputy Secretaries, Directors, Joint Secretaries, Secretaries etc. Needless to say, these are important statutory positions that are integral to keeping the state of Meghalaya running on a day to day basis.
In 2017, the Meghalaya Public Service Commission in consultation with the Government of Meghalaya, released the official advertisement calling for applications to fill up 38 sanctioned posts of the MCS – Junior Grade. Subsequently, in July 2018 the Preliminary Examination (Phase I) was conducted and the results were released the following month, i.e. August 2018. Then in October 2018 the MPSC called for applications of the successful candidates to the MCS Mains Examination (Phase II) to be held at a later date. In the midst of this, six unsuccessful candidates filed a writ petition before the High Court of Meghalaya challenging the Preliminary Examination results on various grounds. The court case went on for months. Towards the end of 2019, the MPSC released a notice that the MCS Mains Examination would be held in January, 2020 and that the Schedule or Routine for the same would be released later. The aggrieved unsuccessful candidates in turn, filed a Miscellaneous Writ Petition seeking stay on the MCS Mains Examination notice, to which the High Court complied. However, the stay order was challenged by MPSC before a Division Bench of the High Court which overturned the earlier stay order. This decision of the Division Bench was also upheld by the Supreme Court of India.
The MCS Mains Examination were finally held in January 2020, where 576 candidates appeared for the same. The result of this Mains Examination however, was subject to the outcome of the original Writ Petition filed by the six aggrieved unsuccessful candidates, as decided by the Division Bench and upheld by the Supreme Court. Months and days passed since the conclusion of the Mains examination. Finally, on 27th January 2021, after exactly one year from the date of MCS Mains Examination, the High Court of Meghalaya disposed of the original Writ Petition and did not grant any relief to the unsuccessful candidates. The Court therefore granted liberty to MPSC to declare the results of the pending MCS Mains Examination.
The above is a short synopsis on the history of the MCS recruitment matter in the state of Meghalaya. As one of the successful candidates, a few questions however trouble my mind. The final judgment of the High Court of Meghalaya was delivered on January 27, 2021, yet a week has passed since the date of the judgment but the MCS Mains results are nowhere in sight. As per the Shillong Times report, “MPSC to declare results soon” (Jan 30, 2021), no clear timeline has been intimated by the MPSC authorities. According to some sources, it is said that the declaration of results would take another month or so because MPSC has not even started evaluating the MCS Mains answer scripts, despite exams being conducted 12 months ago! If this is true, can we imagine a more pathetic situation than this? It is acceptable that delay in results was due to the matter being sub-judice in the High Court all this while, but could not the MPSC have at least completed the evaluation process? The Court never stopped MPSC from doing so.
Time and again, I have reiterated this point that premier examinations such as the Meghalaya Civil Service require months of preparation as it is not an examination one can prepare in just a matter of days. Many of us have sacrificed many opportunities to prepare and dedicate ourselves to this examination. MPSC, now with untied hands, should understand the plight of the successful candidates and ensure that results are released in a timely manner. Already we have suffered for over 4 years (yes 4 long years) for no apparent fault of ours. Since its inception, MPSC has had a chequered history. Allegations of nepotism, manipulation and “making” plagues the Commission. The newly appointed Chairman and Members of MPSC should not allow these sort of allegations to stick. They should prove these allegations wrong through transparent conduct and timely declaration of results. In other states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, on the day when a judgment comes out which grants liberty to the State Public Commission to declare results, that day itself the State Public Commissions would release the results. By condoning this delay in MCS Mains results despite no pending litigation to the contrary MPSC is waiting for another form of litigation which would drag this process for another hundred years.
We the successful candidates are tired, weary and would desperately like to see the end of this entire fiasco. Frankly speaking it would be better to know that one has failed the examination than to be kept in the dark for years. At least one can move on to something else, without any baggage. If any of the MPSC officials are reading this, I hope it strikes their conscience to do the right thing. Innocent lives are counting on it.
Yours etc.,
Jeremiah S
Via email
Big boost to environment-friendly vehicles
Editor,
The Union Government has announced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy in the Budget 2020-21. Under the policy, personal vehicles older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years will have to undergo fitness tests in automated vehicle fitness testing centers. Anyone scrapping an old vehicle will get a certificate of scrapping and using that he might get a discount of up to 5 per cent while purchasing a new vehicle. As per the government’s data, around 51 lakh light motor vehicles in India are older than 20 years; 34 lakh are older than 15 years, while 17 lakh medium and heavy commercial vehicles are older than 15 years and without a valid fitness certificate. Hope that the policy will help in encouraging fuel-efficient, environment-friendly vehicles and reduce vehicular pollution.
Yours etc.,
Amit Singh Kushwaha,
Satna (M.P.)