Editor,
The recent DSC West Jaintia Hills examination for the post of Lower Division Assistant-cum-Typist (January 2025), Vide Advertisement No. DSC.3/ADVT/2012/254, dated: January, 25, 2025, held on September 27, 2025, has exposed serious lapses that demand immediate attention and accountability.
During the examination, several candidates were reportedly caught using mobile phones inside the examination halls. This blatant malpractice has shaken the faith of honest aspirants and sparked widespread outrage against the system. The failure of security personnel to properly check candidates before entry is deeply concerning, as many managed to smuggle phones inside. Likewise, invigilators failed to carry out their duties. They were seen sitting idle, leaving the halls unattended, or even using their own phones instead of maintaining vigilance.
To make matters worse, the DSC has yet to release any official information about the candidates caught cheating. This silence only deepens the frustration among genuine candidates who worked hard for months. Those found guilty should face punishment under the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. It is also likely that some of these individuals have engaged in similar misconduct in earlier DSC or MPSC examinations, particularly in the Jaintia Hills region.
Therefore, even if such candidates clear upcoming MPSC or DSC exams, their results should be nullified. Their candidature must be cancelled, and their registrations permanently blocked from both DSC and MPSC portals to prevent re-entry. Furthermore, the DSC should publicly release the names of all offenders and take strict disciplinary and legal action, as these candidates have committed a grave offense that undermines the integrity of public service recruitment.
Malpractice in public examinations is not a mere act of cheating—it is a crime against every honest aspirant and against society itself. The DSC and MPSC must act decisively: publish the names of offenders, enforce strict penalties, cancel their candidature, and block them from future exams. Only through firm and transparent action can we restore faith in the system, uphold the sanctity of examinations, and protect the credibility of public service.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email
Where are we heading into?
Editor,
What if we momentarily step away from political matters, expressing our frustrations about socio-economic decline and the state’s welfare? As a society, we seem to have lost the true meaning of family. Family is not merely a mother, father, and their children; it encompasses a tightly-knit group of cousins, aunts, and uncles from both sides. To be frank, we often only gather with our relatives during unfortunate events, such as the passing of a family member or a mutual friend.
Crimes are committed with increasing audacity—rape, murder, theft, you name it—because we, as a society, have faltered. We have failed because family members no longer share meals together, discuss their days, or engage in spontaneous conversations. Today’s teenagers are bombarded with vivid social media content, and they often buckle under the pressure, particularly regarding relationships. However, social media provides them with an escape from their troubles.
A child may feel alone; do we even notice? Unfortunately, we do not. I am uncertain about the point I am trying to convey, but I observe a society in utter chaos, devoid of tradition and customs. Where have the days gone when we dined together as a family? They are lost! English has become the standard, while Khasi tradition is fading into obscurity.
Yours etc.,
Meban Aibor Nengnong,
Via email
Contradictions in Badwar’s response to DC removal demand
Editor,
I write this letter in response to the statement made by Congress leader Manuel Badwar regarding the demand for the removal of the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills, a demand publicly raised by Wankitbok Pohshna of BJP and ironically both leaders are from East Shillong. Badwar’s remarks dismissing the call as “politically motivated” and “unproductive” in the face of administrative challenges deserve deeper scrutiny, not just for their tone but for what they reveal about the broader crisis of accountability in our district.
The demand for the DC’s removal must have not emerged in a vacuum. It is rooted in a series of alarming developments rising cases of child abuse, unchecked encroachments, and a visible breakdown in law enforcement coordination. When citizens and leaders alike raise concerns backed by data and community testimony, it is not mere “politics,” it is democracy in action.
Badwar’s response, unfortunately, reflects a pattern we’ve seen too often deflecting legitimate criticism by painting it as partisan and pushing the entire onus on the society at large. But accountability is not partisan. It is foundational. The DC, as the administrative head, bears direct responsibility for ensuring law and order, coordinating with police, and responding to public grievances. When these functions falter, the public has every right to demand change.
Moreover, the deteriorating law and order in East Khasi Hills is not just a matter of statistics; it is a lived reality. From encroachment issues to various anti-social activities, the district has witnessed repeated failures in timely intervention and transparent resolution. The absence of proactive communication with stakeholders from the DC’s office has only deepened public mistrust. No doubt the current DC may have good rapport with members of the public due to her welcoming nature, but when there are administrative flaws there should be no compromise whatsoever.
In contrast, Pohshna’s call for removal is not a rush to judgment but a call for administrative introspection. It is a reminder that public service is not a privilege but a responsibility. If the current leadership cannot uphold that responsibility, then change is not only justified but necessary and the state government has to take keen note.
Through this column, I urge fellow citizens, media voices, and political representatives to move beyond party lines and focus on what truly matters in restoring accountability, protecting our communities, and ensuring that East Khasi Hills and Meghalaya as a whole does not become a case study in administrative apathy.
Yours etc.,
Firstly Lyngkhoi
Shillong -3
Sex work for basic survival
Editor,
I write as a deeply concerned resident of Shillong. In recent weeks, I have grown increasingly troubled by the visible presence of sex work along the road behind the old Meghalaya Legislative Assembly building, an area that should embody civic order and public trust.
During recent visits to the locality, I engaged in respectful, discreet conversations not as a client, but as a fellow citizen seeking to understand the realities behind what is often judged at face value. I spoke with several individuals engaged in this work, and their stories were marked not by choice, but by compulsion. Among them were single parent mothers who shared that they entered this line of work out of sheer necessity, to feed their children and keep a roof over their families’ heads. One mentioned having no other means of income after being abandoned; another spoke of debts and medical emergencies that left her with no alternatives.
The openness of these solicitations underscores a deeper crisis. The lack of social safety nets, economic vulnerability, and inadequate support for marginalized individuals, especially women.
We must respond not with judgment or punitive measures alone, but with empathy and a commitment to justice. Many involved are not offenders but survivors, victims of poverty, abandonment, trafficking, or coercion. A truly effective response must combine vigilant action against exploitation and trafficking with compassionate, long-term solutions: access to shelter, counselling, vocational training, and pathways to dignified livelihoods.
I urge local authorities, civil society organizations, and community leaders to come together to address this issue with urgency, transparency, and humanity. Let us uphold not only the integrity of our public spaces but also the dignity, safety, and rights of every person in Shillong especially those pushed to the margins through no fault of their own.
Yours etc.,
Thomas Jones Wahlang,
Via email
