Editor,
Your esteemed daily had carried the front page good news on 30 November 2022 about “MHA to examine Separate IAS/IPS cadre for Meghalaya.” It is rather too late for the government of India to consider this matter for Meghalaya while all other States in N.E. India besides Assam have been enjoying separate cadres much earlier. Perhaps the successive governments of Meghalaya have been least interested in parting with the happy joint cadre with Assam. For all this while the citizens of Meghalaya feel that their State is still under Assam. A few weeks ago we saw in the news a certain Assam MLA personally directed Meghalaya D.G.P. to mind his job when some hiccups arose after the FKJGP with other NGO leaders concluded their peaceful protest meeting at the Fire Brigade ground, Shillong. We understand his feelings of concern as we too feel the same. But to do such things over the head of the Chief Minister or the State Government is nothing but sheer arrogance. The M.L.A. had certainly taken advantage of the joint cadre. On the other hand, it is indeed difficult to understand how the successive governments of Meghalaya have been delivering their governance during the last 50 years under a joint cadre.
It is not known whether the three members of Parliament representing the State had ever raised any question on expediting the matter. If not, we hope they will aggressively push the case in the next session of Parliament. We would like to see the all-India officers in our State work independently of other State’s control and without any fear or favour.
Yours etc.,
Prof. P.M.Passah
Jowai
Own up your errors NEIGRIHMS
Editor,
This letter is regarding the news report published in your paper “NEIGRIHMS relief for nursing candidates” (ST December 2, 2022). As per the Director, the candidates themselves chose the examination centres before submitting their application. But the reality is as under.
1. Candidates did not get the chance to choose their examination centres which should have been as per the notification. NEIGRIHMS provided only the link to register but failed to provide the link for centre booking which should’ve have been from the 6th-12th November. Centres were allotted randomly without candidates getting the option.
2. The recruitment exam is being conducted in multiple batches. So the question of not having centres in Shillong is out of the question. There are also quite a number of centres in the State which hosted computer-based exams for ICAR, JNV and SBI recruitment in which the numbers are up to thousands. Even one centre can conduct exams multiple times. Imagine 5 or 6 of them. One can do the math.
3. There’s nothing wrong with exam centres at different States for the convenience of candidates from other States but candidates from Meghalaya should be able to get a centre in the State or the nearest State(s)
The Controller of Examination needs to own up that he/she had made a mistake for not choosing other centres in Shillong (not just one) and for picking the wrong agency for conducting the recruitment. No more excuses please!
Yours etc.,
J. Kharsohnoh,
Via email
Notorious LDA exams
Editor,
I sat for the DSC Examination for the post of LDA, District and Sessions Court in East Jaintia Hills, Khliehriat. The venue of the examination was at Jaintia Eastern College, Khliehriat. When I reached the premises, I was delighted to see that the room numbers were already pasted. The reason for such a delight is due to the fact that for such examinations, things are taken very lightly by the concerned authorities. For instance, once in Jowai, one of the venues for DSC Examinations was in the Government Boys’ School. Here, pasting of room numbers was done only after the candidates had arrived at the said venue. So, since credit should be given where credit is due, kudos to the concerned authorities for managing to paste room numbers promptly, for the DSC examination in Khliehriat.
However, the downsides to this single positive side are many. First of all, there was no frisking of the candidates on arrival. Secondly, roll numbers were not pasted on benches and hence candidates were at liberty to sit wherever they wanted. Besides, the absence of seating arrangements, mobile phones were allowed to be kept with the students inside the examination halls. Some phones were later taken away but some were not. For the latter, cheating was possible, at least in the room I was seated in. What was worst was that even after the invigilators have witnessed the candidates cheating, nothing was done. Even when the candidate’s phone was seen on the table, nothing was done. So, in a way, blatant cheating was allowed. Later on, the shameless invigilators even helped the students by answering out loud (proudly, I might add) to some of the questions in the question paper. Who is responsible for such anomalies to occur? Is the office of the District and Sessions Court Khliehriat aware that such dishonest practices are being allowed? Shouldn’t the Deputy Commissioner, Khliehriat look into the matter? Alas! the future of such examinations looks bleak harbouring only frustrations in people no sooner admissions are called again
Yours etc.,
R. Lamin,
Khliehriat
USTM a role model to uplift education in the State
Editor,
The University of Science and Technology (USTM) Meghalaya which is situated in Ri-Bhoi District should be a role model for the Government of Meghalaya and for higher education in the State. The University within a short period has achieved National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) A grade in its first cycle which is an uphill task to achieve. The University has set a target to produce students who will crack competitive exams by paying them back the whole amount if they clear the National base competitive exams. They had enabled two hundred plus students to crack NET and they paid the whole amount of fees that the University charged from them.
Being a past pupil of USTM I had seen how the University functions and how it encourages the students to crack various competitive exams. The Hon’ble Chancellor is a visionary leader, and our politicians should be inspired by him on how to uplift the education sector in our State or they should seek suggestions from USTM on how to solve the education problems in our state.
The University has begun the process of construction of the Medical College in our State which shows that if there is a will there’s a way. However, our government is lacking the will to set up a Medical college or even a State University. It is a reminder that Meghalaya is now 50 years old but there is no State University or even a Medical College. But USTM within 10 years has shown the path on how to achieve it. I do not doubt that if our politicians are serious about uplifting the education sector in our State they will find ways to do so.
Yours etc.,
Kenneth Nongsiej,
Via email