KSU resents ‘outside of state exam centres’ for local candidates for NEIGRIHMS posts

Shillong, Dec 6: The KSU on Wednesday met NEIGRIHMS director, Dr Nalin Mehta to express their concern that most of the candidates belonging to the indigenous community of the Meghalaya who have applied for various post of Group B and C, are directed to sit for their examination in other centres outside Meghalaya.
The delegation of the KSU led by its general secretary, Donald V. Thabah also submitted a petition to the NEIGRIHMS in this regard.
Talking to reporters after meeting Dr Mehta, Thabah said that they have met the director after receiving complaints from many of the local candidates who have applied for the various vacant posts as they are required to appear in the examination centres which are outside the state.
He also said that it would be difficult for those candidates coming from poor financial background to go to places outside Meghalaya  like Jorhat, Delhi and Guwahati to appear for this examination.
“During our conversation with the director, we were informed that NEIGRIHMS has outsourced to one of the testing agency from outside to conduct the examination for the recruitment of the various vacant posts in the institute,” KSU general secretary informed.
Thabah said that they have to set up the centres outside the state since the state does not have many computers training institute to conduct these examination.
According to him, they have tried to explain the director that there are many such computer training centres in Shillong.
“But the director argued that NEIGRIHMS has no role in identifying these centres since it has outsourced to a private testing agency,” KSU general secretary said.
Thabah said that after a detailed deliberation, the director finally agreed that they would carry out a check list of the computer centres which are located in Shillong and other parts of the State.
He said that the director also stated that they might explore possibilities if some kind of agreement can be entered with these centres for conducting such recruitment examination within Meghalaya.
Stating that it is difficult to rectify this discrepancy since the examination is schedule to be held on December 9, the KSU general secretary however informed that they have insisted before the NEIGRIHMS director that the institute in the near future should impressed upon the testing agency which they have entered into agreement, should prioritise that they should first identify the computer centres within the state as examination centres for conducting of the examination for the vacant posts.
Meanwhile, in the petition submitted to NEIGRIHMS director, Thabah said that there is a strong sense of bitter feeling among the local indigenous candidates that their centres were intentionally and deliberately given in other states so as to deprive them from the opportunity and to cater the non-local non-indigenous candidates for such post(s).
According to him, the Union find it bogus and phony that candidates from Meghalaya need to give their examination in other States for recruitment of post(s) in the State itself and this is not the first time that this has happened and the Union cannot allow it to be a precedence in the near future.
“We appeal to the appropriate authorities that they must understand that most of the candidates from the State comes from an economical weaker section of the society and it’s not possible for them to travel to other states to sit for examinations hence it deprives them of an equal opportunity,” the KSU general secretary said.
Moreover, he said that the gap between the date of issuance of admit card and the date of examination is very less and even for those who can afford the travel outside the state and lodging expenses, it is a herculean task to manage it in such a short time frame.
“Secondly, there are candidate(s) who have applied for multiple post(s) in Grade B and C and all the examination for all the posts are on the same date and time and this again deprive them of opportunity. Since, they have applied and pay the examination fees, they are ought to be given an opportunity to attempt  the examination,” Thabah said.
The KSU general secretary further said that the Union would strongly like to urge that the matter be immediately resolved and local indigenous candidates who have opted to write their examination in the State must be allowed to do so and  such issues and problems must not crop up in the near future.
He stated that they are of the opinion that NEIGRIHMS should conduct its own examination instead of outsourcing it to the other companies because there is always room for discrepancies and such issues mentioned above are always common with the companies from other states because they would not understand the opinions and views of the people of the State.
“We would also like to humbly urge that preferences should be given to the local indigenous tribal of Meghalaya for any post(s) if the candidate is eligible for such post and the appropriate authorities should slide more towards the locals in the unreserved categories,” Thabah added.