UPSC Civil Services 2024: Manipur govt in favour of exam centres outside state

Petitioner Zomi Students Federation moved the high court, seeking to set up examination centres and reopening the application window to enable civil services aspirants to opt for a centre of their choice

Manipur govt in favour of UPSC exam centres outside state

UPSC prelims has been postponed

Delhi High Court on Tuesday, March 19, informed New Delhi, that the Manipur government is in favour of having centres outside the troubled north-eastern state for holding UPSC civil service preliminary exams.

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The counsel on behalf of the Manipur government told the High Court, which was hearing the plea seeking the setting up of additional examination centres for civil services and Indian forest service aspirants, that the chief secretary has said the government would assist these aspirants for travel to centres outside the state.

Given the stand taken by the Manipur authorities, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan observed that the examinations may be held outside the state, as held last year, and asked the UPSC counsel to take instructions.

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“Take a call. Follow the 2023 pattern then. We will ask UPSC to take instructions. Prima facie we are of this view,” the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, said.”Counsel for the UPSC is directed to take instructions,” the court said.

Petitioner Zomi Students Federation moved the high court last week, seeking to set up examination centres in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi in the state and reopening the application window to enable civil services aspirants to opt for a centre of their choice.

The counsel for the Manipur government said the chief secretary of the state, in a letter addressed to him, said the state government believes that given the situation and to maintain the sanctity of the examination, it may not be appropriate to provide centres in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
The letter suggested that students in Manipur, who have to take the civil services examination, may be allotted centres outside the state and financial assistance would be provided to them.

The counsel stated that even last year, the civil services examinations were held in centres outside Manipur. Counsel for the UPSC had earlier told the court that the commission has already written three letters to the Manipur chief secretary concerning opening of examination centres in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Ukhrul but no response has been received yet.

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Manipur plunged into violence in May 2023 over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

This order led to rampant ethnic clashes. More than 160 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

The matter would be heard next on March 22.