Newmai News Network
Imphal | November 3
The Democratic Students' Alliance Manipur (DESAM), Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Sinpanglup (AIMS) and All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) on Tuesday demanded the punishment of culprits in the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (MCSCCE) 2016 "fiasco".
In a joint press statement, the three student bodies said the MCSCCE 2016 was quashed by the High Court of Manipur “for various lapses and irregularities” in the conduct of the examination. The statement also said that, “as civil society organisations we welcome any step for the eradication of corruption, and this case being one that concerns the whole Manipur public, the MCSCCE 2016 fiasco should lead to clean up of every nook and corner of the premier recruitment and selection agency of the state viz. the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC), and at the same time we fervently demand that there should not be any collateral damage”.
“Every culprit involved in any form of corruption in the MPSC examination must be given exemplary punishment,” they further demanded.
According to the joint statement, it has been one year since the judgment was dispensed, “and we appeal to the state government to accord this case the highest priority”.
They also said that MPSC is hurriedly trying to conduct re-exam of MCSCCE 2016 mains before those who are responsible for the MCSCCE 2016 fiasco are penalized and before even making proper rules only creates doubts and distrusts in the minds of the public.
“We call upon the government of Manipur to take a proactive role to ensure that the ends of justice are met,” the statement said.
They said the government must take responsibility if MPSC is not upholding its duties, adding that MPSC must not be allowed to conduct any examinations till the culprits are penalized at the earliest.
Regarding the selected candidates, the student bodies said that any of them who engaged in “wrongdoings should suffer the consequence, whereas those who are innocent should be given protection and not discarded to bear the penalty of the wrongs of some other people.”
They added that MPSC must be made into a responsible constitutional body, for which it has the mandate, and stopped from behaving like a “remorseless destroyer of the youth”.
The fiasco of MCSCCE 2016 cannot simply end in a whimper without anyone held accountable, they said. “Every person concerned with wrongdoings leading to the MCSCCE 2016 fiasco must be held accountable,” they demanded.
“Therefore, we once again call upon the Government of Manipur to clean up the MPSC as a priority and to ensure fair and equitable justice for all innocent candidates,” they said. “Further, we also implore all the authorities involved to expedite the matter towards the justice ends and the three bodies would not remain silent if the justice is not served,” they added.
