Editor,
For more than ten years, the state of Meghalaya has not seen a single local candidate successfully clear the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination. This troubling trend stands in stark contrast to the consistent performance of candidates from other Northeastern states like Manipur, Assam, and even smaller states like Sikkim, where aspirants regularly secure ranks in one of the most competitive exams in India. This drought of success is not due to a lack of talent or capability among Meghalaya’s youth, but it appears to stem from a deeply rooted mindset — one that prioritizes comfort over ambition and places undue emphasis on the security of state government jobs.
In Meghalaya, there is a cultural inclination towards remaining within the familiar. Many young people aim for clerical or Group C and D state government positions. The result is a preference for short-term security rather than long-term impact and leadership roles that the UPSC offers. The rigorous preparation needed for UPSC — often spanning years — is seen by many as an unnecessary risk. This comfort zone mindset can be partly attributed to family and societal expectations. There is immense pressure to find a job early, and a state government job is often perceived as the ultimate achievement. Parents and community elders may not actively discourage UPSC preparation, but rarely do they encourage the bold pursuit of all-India services either. The state’s economy, driven heavily by the government sector, has made public employment the default career path. Meghalaya has a significant working-age population, with a large proportion relying on government employment for their livelihood. For many, this has resulted in a narrow view of success — one limited to state employment, with little exposure or encouragement to compete on a national level. The consequence is a shrinking pool of aspirants even daring to attempt the UPSC, let alone clearing it. Civil Services coaching centres are few and far between in the state, and those that do exist often lack the depth and rigor found in metros like Delhi or Hyderabad. Aspirants who do take the leap often face challenges in accessing high-quality mentorship, peer groups, and resources.
Another issue is the lack of recent role models. In states where someone clears the UPSC every few years, it creates a ripple effect — motivating others, setting expectations, and building a community of support. Meghalaya has missed out on this cycle. The absence of visible success stories creates a vacuum where young aspirants lack both guidance and inspiration. Government initiatives have also fallen short. While schemes to support civil services aspirants exist in theory, their reach and effectiveness have been limited. There is an urgent need for better infrastructure, scholarships, and institutional encouragement to raise the bar for ambition among Meghalaya’s youth. Reversing this trend requires a cultural and systemic shift. The youth need to be shown the larger canvas on which their potential can be painted. UPSC is not just about getting a job — it’s about entering the nation’s highest decision-making bodies. Meghalaya needs to inspire its students to think beyond the state’s borders, to aim for national and international excellence. Educational institutions, NGOs, and the government must come together to build a UPSC ecosystem — through dedicated coaching, awareness campaigns, mentorship networks, and success stories. Parents and communities, too, need to redefine what success looks like.
Until this mind set changes, Meghalaya risks losing a generation of leaders who could represent the state and the Northeast in the corridors of power.
Yours etc;
Rishanlang Khongwir,
Via email
Railway Expansion Stirs Demographic Questions
Editor,
I appreciate the article by KN Kumar on the dilemmas that face the state and its indigenous population vis-à-vis railways. While he highlighted the various advantages that can come with introducing railways, he also admits to the fear of being demographically overwhelmed as the major cause of its opposition by various groups in the state. There are those who support the idea of linking Meghalaya to the railway map of the country, but from my personal experience, the opponents are more in number. Personally, I support the introduction of railways for the simple fact that I don’t believe in the argument of demographic change happening in Meghalaya because of the railways. As KN Kumar has rightly pointed out, we have thousands of our own people moving out of the state in search of jobs and a better life and becoming migrants themselves. To think that there are those who are going to reverse the cycle when the native indigenous population sees no opportunities in the state and the non-indigenous population does not have many rights, is highly unlikely.
This reasoning is because the Census data has shown a continuous decline of the non-indigenous non-tribal population of the state, with a consequent increase in the indigenous tribal population. However, the demographic data shared by KN Kumar threatens to break that narrative. According to him, “Meghalaya’s tribal population, once 86% (85.9% actually) in 2001, has dipped to 82% by 2021, and fears of an outsider influx run deep among the Khasi and Jaintia communities.” In 2011, Meghalaya’s indigenous tribal population was 86.15%. If his figures are correct, this over 50-years trend of continuous increase in the indigenous tribal population has ended.
In a program I attended a few weeks ago, a government official informed the audience that Meghalaya’s population has reached 36 lakhs. If we accept the data shared by KN Kumar, it means that over the last 20 years, the non-indigenous population has increased by over 2 lakhs. I am not sure where he got the data from since we didn’t have any Census survey in 2021 and even if you were to extrapolate, the proportion of the indigenous population should have gone up, not down, based on the past trends.
It could very well be that as a former IAS officer, he has access to internal reports that are based either on electoral roll data, hospital records or sample surveys. He can tell us better about the source of the data, but if it is authentic, I am no longer inclined to support the railway as the fears raised by the various groups have been proven true. In such a situation, the introduction of railways will definitely worsen the situation. At this moment, I think it’s best for the government to wait for the Census survey before taking any decision on the railways. Now that the Union Government has talked about it, we could have official data soon. If what KN Kumar has claimed about the fall in the indigenous tribal population is true, we can bid the railways goodbye. It will also be a vindication of the Jaidbynriew politics and we will all have to brace ourselves for a very volatile future. Let’s wait and watch.
Yours etc.,
Bhogtoram Mawroh,
Via email