By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 30: The Meghalaya Education Recruitment Board (MERB) on Wednesday announced the postponement of interviews for the posts of assistant professors/lecturers in government colleges, which were scheduled to be held from August 4 to 8.
According to a notification issued by the MERB Member Secretary, the decision was taken during a meeting held the same day. The affected subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry and Commerce.
The notification stated that the decision was prompted by numerous claims and objections submitted by candidates.
“Although these were examined and disposed of by the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE), several candidates have submitted appeals, which are currently under consideration,” the member secretary of MERB said.
The notification further informed that candidates who wish to submit appeals or raise additional claims/objections may do so by emailing [email protected] within 14 days from the date of the notification. Submissions received after the deadline will not be entertained.
“MERB will re-examine all submissions and issue a fresh notification with revised interview details in due course. This notice is issued for the information and necessary action of all concerned,” the member secretary added.
Earlier, North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum welcomed the decision, stating that the ongoing recruitment process did not align with the policy set by the MERB, which mandates a 1:2.5 ratio for shortlisting candidates.
He said he had earlier met with Swapnil Tembe, Secretary of the department, and followed up with another meeting on Wednesday with the Commissioner and Secretary of the Education Department, Vijay Kumar Mantri, to seek further clarification.
“We cannot play with the future of our youth when it comes to employment. Recruitment must strictly follow the laid-down policy,” Nongrum asserted.
Citing examples, he said that for the 27 vacant posts in Physics, 66 candidates were found provisionally eligible. However, only 42 were shortlisted for the interview instead of the required 68 as per the 1:2.5 ratio.
Similarly, for the 28 vacancies in Botany, 50 candidates were provisionally eligible, but only 30 were shortlisted instead of 70.
In the Chemistry department, with 27 vacant posts, only 42 candidates were shortlisted, whereas the correct number should have been 67 to maintain the ratio.
“This shortfall in shortlisted candidates has deprived many deserving applicants of their right to compete for these positions,” Nongrum said, adding that similar discrepancies were observed across other subjects as well.
Describing the situation as a clear violation of MERB guidelines, he criticised the lack of transparency in the selection process. “There was no written examination, and the academic scores used for shortlisting have not been published, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability,” he said.
Nongrum demanded that the Education department immediately ensure adherence to the 1:2.5 ratio, make public the academic scores used in the shortlisting process, and initiate an inquiry to identify those responsible for the irregularities.