Mizo students stage protest outside MPSC office in Aizawl, demand recruitment reforms

Aizawl: Hundreds of members of Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), an influential student organisation, on Monday staged a demonstration outside the Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) office here, demanding administrative and recruitment reforms. The protesters picketed the MPSC office and prevented its officers and staff from entering the premises.

The protest remained largely peaceful, barring a brief scuffle between police and some protesters when officials attempted to enter the office. The MZP has demanded structural reforms and additional manpower to strengthen the commission and improve its efficiency and credibility.

It alleged that repeated administrative shortcomings in recent recruitments had undermined the confidence of job seekers and raised concerns over the One Time Registration (OTR) system.

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MZP demands changes to MPSC’s OTR system

The organisation demanded that the existing OTR system be scrapped and replaced with need-based, post-specific application forms. It also sought a one-time opportunity for candidates rejected over incomplete OTR document uploads to submit the required documents offline, particularly those who had cleared written examinations but were subsequently disqualified during document verification.

MZP president Dr C Lalremruata said the organisation would intensify its agitation until its demands were met. MPSC officials, however, defended the OTR system, saying it was introduced to simplify recruitment applications and ensure fairness and equality in public employment.

MPSC says OTR simplifies recruitment process

They claimed that OTR enables candidates to enter their personal details and upload essential documents only once, after which the information can be automatically retrieved for subsequent job applications. The system reduces repetitive data entry, minimises errors and allows candidates to access their application details and examination-related information through the portal at any time, they said.

Officials also maintained that with OTR systems widely used by State Public Service Commissions across the country, there was currently no justification for scrapping the system or introducing a fresh mechanism for offline document submission. They said that accepting the demands could have wider implications, particularly for appointments that have already been finalised.

MPSC cites application data amid OTR row

According to the MPSC, it processed around 50,000 applications in 2025-26 and has already handled more than 20,000 applications in 2026-27. It is estimated that only around 500 candidates may have been affected by incomplete OTR document uploads or attempts to upload documents after the application deadline.

Some candidates whose applications were rejected over incomplete or late document uploads have approached the Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court, the officials said, adding that changing the existing procedure while the matter is pending would not be appropriate. The MZP said it had been raising concerns with the commission since June last year over difficulties faced by candidates.

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While supporting OTR in principle, the organisation said the present system was not sufficiently user-friendly and had created confusion among applicants due to inadequate instructions on document uploads.

The organisation also claimed that candidates had, in some cases, appeared on the valid list, taken written examinations and even been called for interviews before being rejected during manual document verification because documents uploaded through OTR were found to be incomplete.

The MZP also urged the MPSC to take responsibility for shortcomings in the portal and provide affected candidates an opportunity to rectify document-related deficiencies. It said candidates should not be made to bear the consequences of failures or limitations in the online system.