Editor,
The recent CBSE circular dated January 19, 2026, mandating the appointment of career counsellors in every one of its schools, addresses an urgent and pressing need. It presents the career counselling fraternity with an opportunity of unprecedented proportions. At the same time, it presents the heads of CBSE schools with a challenge! There are about 30,000 CBSE schools in the country. But do we have that many trained career counsellors in the country? Where a career counsellor is not available, the notification provides for the appointment of teachers who must acquire the competencies of career counselling.
A 50-hour training must be completed within a period of 2 years. Focus is brought to bear therefore on the urgent need for capacity building. It is essential that these counsellor training courses are theoretically sound, evidence-based and focused on the skills of career counselling. Above all, they must be culturally grounded and sensitive to our unequal socio-economic realities. Further, if career guidance is to be effectively delivered, the school must, perforce make provisions in the timetable for at least 20 to 25 periods over the year dedicated exclusively to career guidance. In short, the next steps to optimize this welcome mandate are to create a qualified workforce and also make time-tabling commitments for the implementation of career guidance in the classroom. It is when these provisions are made that this critical policy will find its manifestation in the lives of children.
Yours etc.,
Gideon Arulmani PhD., (Clinical and Career
Psychologist & Director, The Promise Foundation)
Via email
Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) Losing Trust of Aspirants
Editor,
The credibility of any public service commission rests on transparency, fairness, and adherence to established norms. Unfortunately, recent developments surrounding recruitment processes conducted by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) raise serious concerns about whether these principles are still being upheld.
In recent times, aspirants have witnessed several anomalies in examinations conducted by the Commission. While multiple recruitment processes have attracted criticism, the issue that warrants urgent attention today is the conduct of the SDO/AE recruitment for PHE–PWD.
Several articles and representations have already highlighted irregularities in this examination process. However, no meaningful corrective action appears to have been taken so far.
To begin with, the written examination was preponed by almost a month, and candidates were informed at very short notice. Such abrupt rescheduling not only disrupts preparation but also disadvantages candidates who plan their studies and professional commitments in good faith, based on officially published schedules.
Secondly, a significant number of candidates flagged incorrect questions and discrepancies in the answer keys used for evaluating the written examination. As per the Commission’s own provisions, representations were duly submitted by candidates seeking correction. Naturally, aspirants expected that these objections would be examined carefully and that revised answer keys would be published before the declaration of results. Regrettably, this expectation was ignored.
Instead, the Commission proceeded to declare the results of the written examination without addressing the objections raised. This decision has severely dented confidence in the evaluation process and raises legitimate questions about procedural fairness.
Most concerning, however, is an unusual and unprecedented pattern observed in the selection ratio for the interview stage. Against 31 advertised vacancies, only 48 candidates were shortlisted for interview—resulting in a ratio of roughly 1.5 candidates per vacancy. Such a narrow ratio is unheard of in the history of the Commission. Equally troubling is the fact that this ratio was never disclosed in the original advertisement, denying candidates the opportunity to make informed decisions.
By adopting such practices, the Commission is effectively robbing deserving candidates of a fair chance. A recruitment body entrusted with shaping the state’s administrative and technical workforce cannot afford to operate in a manner that appears opaque or arbitrary.
Equally disturbing is the Commission’s apparent silence. Despite repeated concerns raised through the press and public forums, there has been no official clarification or response. This silence only reinforces the perception that accountability is being taken lightly. If authorities remain indifferent to public discourse, it sends a dangerous message that citizens must resort to litigation—even for basic procedural issues.
At this juncture, the Commission is expected to act responsibly: to respond publicly, to address the grievances raised, and to withhold the interview results until due process is followed. Ignoring these concerns will only escalate the situation and compel affected candidates to seek legal remedies.
This letter should be treated not merely as criticism, but as information and a warning. The power of the press may seem diminished, but public trust—once lost—is far harder to recover. It is in the interest of both aspirants and the institution itself that corrective action is taken now, before the damage becomes irreversible.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email
Celebrating the Republic while overlooking its frontline
Editor,
As the nation commemorates Republic Day, extolling freedom, equality, and justice, a quiet but pressing question demands our reflection. How complete is our freedom when those who safeguard public health remain unacknowledged?
Allied Health Professionals including laboratory technologists, pharmacists, radiographers, therapists, and others; constitute the often-invisible backbone of diagnosis, treatment, and disease surveillance. Yet, their invaluable service frequently goes unnoticed. Shakespeare cautioned against the pain of being thankless to one’s own; today, that caution resonates profoundly in the corridors of our hospitals and health centers.
Employment without timely remuneration, clear administrative guidance, or adequate structural support remains an unfulfilled promise. The discrepancy is especially stark in remote and rural postings, including regions such as Meghalaya’s Garo Hills where many professionals operate without access to safe or official accommodation. Vacant policies alongside occupied quarters compel frontline workers to fend for themselves in unfamiliar terrains, exposing a widening chasm between policy declarations and lived realities.
Equally disheartening is the recurring experience of Allied Health Professionals being bypassed during official visits, where ministers and senior authorities often refrain from engagement. Opportunities to listen, observe working conditions, or even acknowledge their presence are routinely missed. A republic that champions dialogue, representation, and inclusivity cannot justify such deliberate distance from its frontline workforce.
Republic Day is not merely a ceremonial homage to constitutional birth; it is a moral litmus test. It interrogates whether the exalted principles enshrined in our Constitution, justice, equality, and dignity, have been faithfully actualized in practice. Administrative delays, neglect of welfare provisions, and the silencing of frontline voices erode not only workforce morale but also the very foundation of public healthcare delivery.
A republic is ultimately measured not by parades or pomp, but by how it treats those who serve quietly, faithfully, and without pause, even on the very days the nation celebrates its freedom.
This reflection is written in the interest of public welfare, grounded in faith in constitutional values, and without any intent to defame individuals or institutions.
Yours etc.,
‘Name withheld on request’
Via email
