Editor,
I wish to draw to your attention to the ongoing Meghalaya Civil Services exams and its debacle. “Meghalaya, the most corrupt state in the country” – Home Minister, Amit Shah said in a flashing headline in the Economic Times February 16, 2023 and The Shillong Times of the same date as well.
The contentious notification No.MPSC/Ex-C/50/2021-2022/145 dated July 23, 2024 had added successful candidates to the earlier notification No.MPSC/Ex-C/50/2021-2022/133. This notification has caused resentment and caused a lot of candidates to question the notification and its timing. This notification stated that representation from a candidate was received and that, 3 questions were wrong.
After the notification came out, student representatives, namely the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) came out to question the decision of the Public Service Commission, only to be met with a counter response that pointed to Article 21 (Right to Privacy). This decision is unacceptable as several central institutions themselves publish not only the merit list with marks but also the answer keys of the particular exam. Examinations of all state public service commissions are modeled after the UPSC so I shudder to think if this had happened at the level of the UPSC how grave the repercussions are going to be.
The MPSC has a rule that they follow i.e., to not give out Answer Keys. So the candidates and the KSU had staged protests over the same. Thereafter the MPSC released a list of roll numbers with marks and also an answer key which included information on the three wrong questions on the basis of which notification No.MPSC/Ex-C/50/2021-2022/145 dated 23/07/2024 had added more successful candidates. The merit list received was also one which showed that some candidates got positive marks and some negative marks with reference to the three wrong questions, meaning that some students had either marked the three wrong questions correctly or incorrectly and therefore lost or gained marks accordingly. From this we can deduce that MPSC exams do not have negative marking. The explanation offered by the MPSC in this regard tends to obfuscate more than clarify.
Here’s where it becomes interesting. Now the KSU and the candidates had to go through a lot to receive the merit list and the Answer Keys but as per the notification a representation was sent by a candidate and the OMR sheets were reassessed on the three wrong questions only.
The question now is – how did the candidate get information that the answers were wrong? Or better still How did the candidate know that the answer keys fed to the OMR correction machine (I would assume) were wrong since the MPSC does not give out Answer Keys?
This is the voice of the candidates and the KSU and therefore we implore upon the elected members some of whom are MLAs and others in the ruling government to do justice to this case. We have heard their voices and paid heed to it before their elections. Now that they are elected, we expect them to reciprocate by paying heed to our voices too. This is our concerned voices – please hear us out and stand for us. Not just political parties, but also members of the society, learned members, teachers, parents. This is our future. We must take a stand. Why should only the students’ representatives talk or stand for the State’s well-being? One magistrate questioned the KSU leaders on the day of the protest as to who had given them the authority to act or to question the Meghalaya Public Service Commission? We should also feel the need to stand up to such challenges. Elected members are voted on the promise of creating more jobs and employment. Right now we feel like our jobs are being taken away. We are enraged at this injustice meted out to us.
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that when a certain minister was a student leader himself, he brought out students from schools to bring down the then government which caused (Late) Shri E.K. Mawlong, the former Chief Minister to resign. Do you think we should also take to the streets to ask for the MPSC chairman’s resignation because as of now we are trying to study day in day out and can no longer afford to take to the streets or to protest outside the MPSC office.
What we want is to scrap notification No.MPSC/Ex-C/50/2021-2022/145 dated July 23, 2024 which had added more successful candidates. This notification has really dented our spirits as it reeks of nepotism. Nepotism is a dominant tendency in our state. I also implore upon the media to carry out investigative journalism and maybe just maybe we can push the state forward.
Yours etc.,
J Lyngdoh,
Via email
Will rape and murder victims ever get justice?
Editor,
Through the columns of your highly esteemed daily and widely circulated newspaper I would like to appeal to the citizen of this country to step forward and join together to deliver justice to the victim of the heinous rape and murder in RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata. She was a young medical professional who had recently completed her post graduate studies at that College. She was brutally raped and murdered in the seminar room in the same Hospital on August 9, 2024.
We are celebrating 78 years of Independence but despite this women’s safety is in jeopardy. Rape is a major problem in India. The accused have usually gone free either because the victim did not file a complaint or because of poor evidence collection. As per the National Crime Records Bureau statistics, every 16 minutes, a woman is raped somewhere in India. In 2022, there were 31,516 rape cases.
Other countries have brutal punishments for committing such crimes whereas India has none. The government wants investigation so that the case reaches a conclusion. We are hoping that this case proceeds real fast towards justice. How many more rapes do we have to see before society actually wakes up and does something to stop this evil?
Yours etc.,
Pinaki Nandy
Shillong
Powerless police led to heinous crimes in West Bengal
Editor,
Regarding the article by Salil Gewali titled “National Uproar Over Rape and Murder of Woman Doctor in Kolkata,” (ST August 19, 2024), I commend the writer for his bold and honest piece. When we look at the scandals, scams, and corruption rampant in West Bengal during the TMC’s rule, it feels like jungle raj. What’s even more unfortunate is that many of these cases are either under-reported or completely ignored by the media, for reasons known to them. As the fourth pillar of a healthy democracy, the media should be unbiased in reporting the truth that affects all citizens and the nation as a whole.
It’s been reported that the family of the Kolkata rape victim was initially misled by hospital authorities into believing their daughter had died by suicide. The Assistant Superintendent of RG Kar Medical Hospital was the first to inform the family that their daughter had taken her own life. This clearly shows that they had no fear of the police. Also, do you think the police would ever cover up a rape case of this magnitude unless they had direct orders from political leaders? There is complete lawlessness in West Bengal.
I agree with Salil Gewali that, “TMC leaders who sexually tortured many village women could one day have become the Home Minister or even the Minister for Women’s Welfare in West Bengal. It’s time to seriously reflect on where West Bengal is headed and the fate of its innocent population.” If we still think that our generation and women are safe in West Bengal under a powerless police department, then we all share the blame. If there hadn’t been nationwide protests, the CBI would never have stepped in for intervention. So, my deep respect and best wishes go out to all the medical professionals and the public who stood up for justice for the victim. Now all should join together to fight for all daughters and sisters.
Yours etc.,
Vijay Sharma,
Shillong-2