SHILLONG, July 25: Speakers at the Meghalaya UPSC Vision Conclave 2026 on Saturday underscored the urgent need to build a comprehensive ecosystem for Civil Services preparation in Meghalaya, stress-ing that sustained mentorship, early career awareness, quality coaching and stronger institutional sup-port are essential to improve the state’s representation in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The views were expressed during the Meghalaya UPSC Vision Conclave 2026, moderated by SPM IAS Academy senior mentor, Abhishek Lahkar, where panellists agreed that despite improvements in school education.
Meghalaya continues to remain under-represented in the Civil Services owing to financial constraints, inadequate mentoring, limited exposure and the absence of a strong competitive environment.
Former Education Minister and Adviser to the Government of Meghalaya, Ampareen Lyngdoh said that although the state has recorded a marked improvement in SSLC results, converting these gains into suc-cess in national-level competitive examinations remains a significant challenge.
She said one of the biggest obstacles is access—not only to quality education but also to coaching facili-ties, financial support and opportunities that would enable students to compete on an equal footing with aspirants from other parts of the country.
Pointing out that preparing for the Civil Services often entails substantial financial investment, particu-larly for students who have to pursue coaching outside the state, Lyngdoh said the government must now focus on establishing a structured support system through scholarships, specialised coaching pro-grammes and targeted policies to prepare eligible candidates for competitive examinations.
Editor of The Shillong Times and Padma Shri awardee, Patricia Mukhim stressed that awareness about the Civil Services should begin at the school level itself.
She said students should be introduced to the nature and purpose of the Civil Services from Classes V and VI so that they understand both the demands of the examination and the spirit of public service associated with the profession.
Mukhim also called for nurturing a stronger culture of academic excellence and healthy competition, ob-serving that many successful UPSC candidates from Meghalaya had benefited from studying outside the state, where they were exposed to a more competitive academic environment.
She further emphasised the need to strengthen institutions such as the Meghalaya Administrative Train-ing Institute (MATI) to better prepare aspiring Civil Servants.
Senior IAS officer Sibhi C Sadhu said success in the Civil Services is driven more by aspirations than ex-amination statistics.
While acknowledging the improvement in school examination results, he maintained that higher pass percentages alone would not translate into greater success in the UPSC unless parents, teachers and society collectively encouraged students to dream bigger and pursue long-term goals.
Drawing from his experience of serving in Meghalaya for over 13 years, Sadhu observed that parental involvement in a child’s education often declines after Class X, even though continuous encouragement during higher education is equally important.
He also cautioned against attributing poor UPSC performance to geographical remoteness or lack of ac-cess to information, saying such explanations hold little relevance in an era where educational resources are readily accessible through digital platforms.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic), Shillong, Lovish Garg said success in the Civil Services de-pends not only on study material but also on a strong support network comprising mentors, peers and evaluators.
He noted that advances in technology have reduced dependence on traditional coaching hubs such as Delhi, with aspirants now able to access quality lectures, study material and expert guidance through online platforms from their homes.
Assistant Commissioner of East Khasi Hills Sonnet Jose, a 2025-batch IAS officer, highlighted persever-ance, discipline and consistency as the defining qualities of successful Civil Services aspirants.
Sharing her own journey, she said candidates should not be discouraged by initial failures, pointing out that many successful officers clear the examination only after multiple attempts.
Jose also underscored the need to develop a dedicated UPSC coaching ecosystem within Meghalaya, similar to those in states such as Kerala, saying that greater institutional presence would improve awareness, affordability and eventually create a stronger competitive culture in the state.
She further observed that many aspirants from Meghalaya struggle with the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), particularly mathematics, and stressed the need to build confidence in technical subjects from an early stage.
KSU general secretary Reuben A Najiar said financial constraints continue to prevent many deserving students from accessing quality coaching outside the state.
Recalling the KSU’s initiative of sponsoring selected students to reputed coaching institutes in Delhi, he said some beneficiaries have since cleared the Meghalaya Civil Services Examination and other competi-tive examinations.
Najiar said the student body intends to continue supporting deserving aspirants while simultaneously working towards creating a sustainable coaching ecosystem within Meghalaya. He added that similar scholarship initiatives are also being explored in collaboration with the Garo Students’ Union.
Representing civil society, Laitumkhrah Dorbar Pyllun Rangbah Shnong PS Nongkynrih stressed that de-termination and personal ambition remain the foundation of success.
He called upon Dorbar Shnongs, youth organisations and community institutions to revive debates, public speaking competitions, educational programmes and other constructive activities that help de-velop leadership qualities, confidence and a competitive spirit among young people.
Senior UPSC mentor Sumiet More of SPM IAS Academy emphasised the importance of mentorship, dis-cipline and consistency in Civil Services preparation.
He advocated the establishment of dedicated public libraries, regular mentoring sessions and greater interaction between aspirants and serving as well as retired Civil Servants, observing that while digital resources have made quality study material widely accessible, effective mentorship remains indispensa-ble in helping aspirants develop the aptitude and discipline required to succeed.
The panel discussion concluded with a consensus that improving Meghalaya’s representation in the Civil Services would require a coordinated effort involving the government, educational institutions, universi-ties, student organisations, traditional institutions, civil society, industry, serving and retired Civil Serv-ants, coaching institutions and the media.
During the conclave, the organisers unveiled the Meghalaya UPSC Vision Declaration 2026, which pro-poses a collaborative framework to address the structural challenges limiting the state’s representation in the Civil Services.
On the occasion, the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (North East Region) presented fi-nancial assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the KSU and the Laitumkhrah Dorbar Pyllun to support educa-tional and youth development initiatives.
The conclave was organised by the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (North East Region), organisers of the International Shillong Trade Fair and International Shillong Shopping Carnival, with the support of the Government of Meghalaya, the KSU and the Laitumkhrah Dorbar Pyllun.
