Editor,
In response to Corina Lyngdoh’s letter, “Idle Chatter feeds busy rumours” (ST Nov 18, 2022), and Albert Thyrniang’s rejoinder on the hearsay I wish to state that I am neither alleging nor assuming anything on the transparency model in which the MPSC exams are conducted. Thank you for enlightening us on the pattern that MPSC follows which is based on 87.5% written and 12.5% marks for personal interview (at least I got to know this now). Though not an expert on the subject, the pattern adopted by our State Competitive Exams like MPSC, DSC, and Departmental exams etc., also adopt the same format. The letter writer states that, “the marks secured by the candidates in the written examination are kept strictly confidential and there is no chance of manipulation at any stage.” Is that really so?
I appreciate the efforts made by the MPSC team to cleanse the system and redeem the tarnished image of the Commission. Congratulations on this and good for us! Further to what’s stated in the letter I would like to illustrate the procedures followed by many Competitive Exams institutions such as SSC, UPSC, JEE, NEET, GATE, NIELIT(NIC), ICAR, and other State Commission Exams which are absolutely transparent and without ambiguity. Hence examinees are satisfied with their marks. Many feel that there should be a two-way communication system in the conduct of examinations. For the information of readers I will describe some of the procedures adopted by these agencies which I (as a candidate ) feel satisfied about the entire recruitment process.
It goes as follows: a) Declaring answer keys in the public domain Having answer keys would really help us know the strength and weaknesses of the subject and, in fact, we can evaluate our own performances. b) A platform that allows the candidate to file a representation with regards to the wrongly printed erroneous questions/ answers in the question paper. I feel this is a must as it will help in the marking system. How can you be sure that the question paper is 100% accurate? What if there is a printing mistake in the question or the answers? Who do we communicate this to? c) Details of the cut off for the next round of interview. d) Details of marks obtained.
If the above measures are adopted, then nobody can question the transparency in the MPSC’s examination framework. And what is so confidential about our marks? Are our marks something related to Space DATA or ISRO DATA that the MPSC needs to hide them? I am not here to debate or to allege lack of transparency or corruption in the MPSC but if you really feel that it is so transparent then please illustrate that transparency to the candidates in any form.
To conclude I would say that, having those measures in the public domain would justify every penny we pay for the exams and we would then begin to trust the so-called system of transparency, no matter how we perform.
Yours etc.,
C L Kynshi,
Via email
No election rallies on working days please!
Editor,
On Friday, November 18, Tura suffered a major traffic disruption due to the AITC rally which brought in thousands of AITC supporters in their vehicles onto the narrow streets of Tura. Political parties do have the right to exercise their democratic rights by conducting rallies and meetings to propagate their ideology, but many are of the view that such political rallies must be held on holidays or Saturdays when most educational institutions and government offices are closed and no inconvenience is caused to anyone. The local District Administration must keep in mind that no difficulties are experienced by the citizens when granting permission to political parties to conduct rallies and meetings .
Tomorrow other political parties will take a leaf from the AITC book and also display their strength too. Such events would put us back in a helpless situation as we faced last Friday. The traffic police in Tura is heavily understaffed and when rallies are allowed to be conducted then the result is a foregone conclusion.
School children had a harrowing experience while returning home as their cars and school buses had ground to halt in the agonising gridlock. I shudder to think what could be going through the minds of patients or victims of accidents who had to be transported in wailing ambulances to find themselves in a chaotic traffic situation.
One must learn lessons from what happened earlier in Shillong when the FKJGP took out a rally on a Friday , a few weeks ago, where thousands were inconvenienced and many were assaulted by the marauding hordes on the equally narrow streets of Shillong. Those ugly incidents were not repeated here in Tura on Friday. I applaud the behaviour of the supporters of the AITC who displayed exemplary conduct. The Government of Meghalaya must ensure that permission to hold political rallies/ meetings can only be given for Saturdays or holidays as we will be witnessing many more such gatherings as the election juggernaut starts to roll soon.
Yours etc.,
Tyrone D’Brass,
Tura.
Qatar Soccer World Cup 2022 & human rights
Editor,
The 22nd edition of the most popular sporting event in the universe, the FIFA World Cup now being kicked off in Qatar will be remembered as the championship of many firsts. It is the first event to be held in the Middle Eastern country and it is being held in winter. It is also one of the costliest world cup soccer championships held so far in terms of the money spent in infrastructure etc which amounted to $300 billion.
However, in the run up to the kick-off which was held on 20 November 2022 there was a huge protest in Germany under the banner “Boycott Qatar.” The protest in a country like Germany which is the global power house of soccer is to be taken serious note of. The protest and the call for “Boycott Qatar” is primarily against the human rights abuses and exploitation of migrant workers who were solely responsible for building the spectacular stadia, majestic hotels and metros et al.
Independent reports had cited that there are about 6500 migrant workers, including those from India and neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal who have died in the construction industry in Qatar since it was awarded to host the World cup in 2010. The families of those migrant workers are waiting for answers and majority of those who died are the sole bread earners who had gone to Qatar with the hope of improving the living conditions of their families back home. Many had also borrowed money from loan sharks to pay the service agency which facilitated their employment in Qatar. Now their families will have to repay the loans and perpetually live in poverty. Some may perhaps be serving as bonded laborers in the hands of lenders.
As a soccer enthusiast myself I would like to take a political stand and appeal to the International Community, National Sports bodies and International Organizations to put pressure on the Qatari Authority to be accountable and transparent and to appoint an Independent Commission in this regard. Moreover, those construction companies under whom the migrant workers might have worked must pay appropriate compensation as per international laws and treaties.
Finally, I also appeal to all the players of the competing nations in the Qatar World Cup 2022 that, “in every match you play remember that the turfs on which you will be kicking and running throughout 90 minutes and the stands where thousands of fans will be filled to cheer your skills are being built and crafted by the hands of the labourers who toiled ceaselessly under the scorching Middle Eastern Sun. Those are the hands of labourers like you. Lest we forget in the neo-liberal era you too are labourers under soccer capitalists, but you are better off than those migrant workers in the Qatari Constitution Industry because you are paid the highest amount by the highest bidder in the soccer market’.
I stand in solidarity with the migrant workers and appeal that the families of those who died must be informed and compensated.
Yours etc.,
Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh,
Via email