Manipur HC quashes state civil service exams, orders CBI probe

Imphal: In a historic judgment, the Manipur High Court on Friday quashed the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (MCSCCE) 2016 conducted by the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC). Accordingly, all appointments made through the exams have been terminated.

The court also asked the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) to investigate into the alleged irregularities conducted during the examination.

The MPSC had conducted the MCSCCE 2016 for selection of 62 posts of MCS, MPS, SDC and EO. These posts are the top posts in the state and command huge respect and corresponding accountability.

However, various alleged irregularities in the MCSCCE 2016 came to light after some candidates who did not clear the examination filed RTI applications asking for their answer sheets. Altogether 1,130 candidates had appeared in the main examination.

These unsuccessful candidates formed a body, Group of Aspirants MPSC Manipur, and alleged that the evaluation process was carried out in a “hasty and haphazard manner” and results were declared just 10 days after the exam was conducted.

“After a series of irregularities were found in almost all of the received answer scripts through RTI such as tampering of marks, missing of examiners’ signatures, wrong tally of marks, etc., there has been a greater wave of discontentment more than ever especially among the aggrieved aspirants. Consequently, a sit-in protest was held which garnered extended support of the masses and the media. So far, one appeal case is pending in the double bench and another three cases are pending in the single bench in the High Court of Manipur, challenging the various irregularities and illegalities in the said examination and also to punish those officials/candidates who had been involved in the corrupt practices,” sources in the Group of Aspirants MPSC Manipur told EastMojo.

The case has been going on in the HC of Manipur whereby some of the candidates had asked for cancellation of exam in light of various illegalities and irregularities pointed out by the court appointed enquiry committee.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had also intervened in the case, after a candidate, Nelojit Mayengbam, and another filed a case in SC against the way the case was “deliberately being dragged on in HC”.

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The SC, in its judgment dated August 5, 2019, directed the HC to decide the case within eight weeks from the date of receipt of its order, by October 9, 2019. The SC had pulled up the HC for taking an undue and inordinate delay in deciding the case that has huge ramifications for the state.

The SC also expressed strong displeasure at the conduct of the HC, especially the way the case was being dragged on in the HC without any proper reason.