KSU calls for transparency in Meghalaya’s recruitment system

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 3, 2025

The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) on Thursday requested the Committee on Reforms in the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) to consider its twenty-point charter to ensure transparency and fair job recruitment in its recommendations, which will be submitted to the state government soon.

In a letter to the Commissioner & Secretary and Chairman of the Committee, FR Kharkongor, the KSU stated, “Thus, the Union would humbly like to request you to consider the ‘Twenty-Point Charter’ mentioned by the Union and the above points to bring about a positive change in the State’s recruitment process.”

Highlighting the twenty points, the Union said that the MPSC is the apex recruiting authority in the state but lacks basic guidelines and technological integration and is in need of reform.

Constituting this Committee is a step towards that reform and change. However, at present, various other recruitment boards are mushrooming in Meghalaya with worse policies, lacking transparency and accountability. These recruitment boards are not guided by any rules and regulations and function based on their own perspectives and logic.
Similarly, some departments conduct their own recruitments and interviews without any rules or fear of accountability.

The Union cited the Meghalaya Medical Service Recruitment Board (MMSRB) as an example and pointed out that in September 2024, the results for 164 staff nurse posts were declared by the Board in a flawed manner. Multiple results were published, filled with anomalies and discrepancies. The questions and answer keys were defective, making the entire recruitment process in turmoil.

The Union had to intervene, and upon proper analysis, it came to light that there were no recruitment rules or regulations in place. Members of the board were headed by government officials, but the recruitment workload was entirely dumped on the doctors of DHS, who are not experts in recruitment and are already overburdened with office work.

The Union is of the opinion that while setting up any recruitment board, the highest standard of guidelines, rules, and processes must be maintained. Otherwise, it would be an injustice to applicants/aspirants and pave the way for corruption and nepotism.

“Thus, the Union would like to suggest that the recommendations made out from this Committee must extend to these recruitment boards if they are found useful to continue and as well as to the District Selection Committees so as to have a uniformity in the recruitment rules and there will be no deviation in the selection process. The Union would also like to suggest that recruitment cannot be done by the department itself for itself and must be done only by designated authorities who are fit and competent for such a task to avoid nepotism and corruption,” the KSU said.

Furthermore, the Union also expressed concern over the high examination fees charged by MPSC, DSC, and different recruitment boards. Applicants are required to pay Rs 500 or more for any post they apply for.

While in central recruitments, concessions in the examination fees are given to Scheduled Tribes or no fees is required at all, in State examination where majority are Scheduled Tribes of the State exorbitant amount of examination fees is charged. 

There has to be a limit to the fees required by the applicant to pay so as it does not affect the lower income group and devoid them of opportunities from applying, it suggested.

The union also highlighted that differently abled people lack support of the Government when it comes to employment opportunities. 

Although, there are reservations for differently abled people in government sector but there are no guidelines as to allow such people to be able to give such examination. 

“Reasonable accommodation is needed to be provided along with necessary tools and equipment’s to ensure that they are on equal footing with the rest. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 must be considered by the Government in ensuring equal opportunities to differently abled people,” it said.

Following the protest and agitations carried by the Union in August, 2024 against MPSC, the Union has observed speedy process of examination and declaration of results which lack over the years, answer keys are being provided to the applicants and there are other minor changes. 

“But even with these changes there are again a lot of blunders and anomalies in the recruitment process. The Union can cite certain example; as in the case of recruitment for the post of Asst. Public Prosecutor, an ineligible candidate is selected without any experience which makes candidate challenge the process in the court of law, for the recruitment of the post of Typist (HOD), the Commission deviated from their original advertisement and went against the existing rule of Meghalaya Directorate Establishment (Ministerial) Service Rules, 2010 which sparks another controversy of nepotism,” the union said.

It added that these matters will not change unless major reforms are brought in the Commission and the other recruitment boards.