The Delhi High Court has accepted the Manipur government’s assurance to extend financial assistance to candidates from the hill districts, who have opted for centres outside the strife-torn State for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2024.
The Manipur government’s assurance came in response to a plea by the Zomi Student Federation seeking to set up examination centres in the hill districts of Manipur for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2024.
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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which organises the exam, handed over an affidavit filed by the Manipur government, where the State government expressed its inability to open examination centres at Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts of Manipur.
The UPSC said considering the State government’s submission, it was not feasible to open and operate examination venues at Churachandpur and Kongpokpi districts for the examination.
The commission said candidates from the hill districts of Manipur, who have presently opted for Imphal as their examination centre can choose any of the following centres — Aizawal (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dispur (Assam), Jorhat (Assam), Kolkata (West Bengal), and Delhi.
The commission states that in case these candidates of the hill district of Manipur opt for any other centre apart from the above seven, their request would be duly accommodated.
Advocate Pukhrambam Ramesh Kumar, appearing for the Manipur government, handed over a March 27 letter written to him by the Chief Secretary of the State intimating the court that the Manipur government would extend financial assistance to the hill candidates.
Reimbursement of fare
“I am to intimate that the State government has considered the ground situation and decided to extend financial assistance in the form of reimbursement of fare for conveyance from district headquarters concerned to the examination centre,” the Chief Secretary stated in the letter.
The reimbursement will, however, be limited to the maximum of 2nd class sleeper railway fare rates or notified bus fare rate of the State, and for fooding and accommodation ₹1,000 per day for three days at the maximum, the Chief Secretary stated.
“The State government will also make arrangement for facilitating transportation within the district through the Deputy Commissioner concerned. In other exceptional circumstances, the matter will be considered on a case-to-case basis,” the Chief Secretary said.
The High Court on March 28 said the commission and the Manipur government were bound by the “statements /assurances/ undertakings given” to the court.
It closed the petition by the tribal student body for setting up examination centres in the hill districts of the border State, which has seen protracted ethnic violence since May last year.
The tribal student body stated that the ethnic violence in the State “has resulted in complete geographical and demographical separation between the majority Meitei community and Kuki-Zo tribals.
The plea said “owing to such situation, the candidates are forced to opt for other nearest centres in other States such as Aizawl which is more than 300-450 km away through inhospitable roads from the hill districts and requires the candidates to incur huge expenditure for travel, boarding and lodging”.
The plea also said as most candidates in these regions are from a poor economic background, they do not have the means to stay in hotels/private accommodations.
