Mizoram to constitute panel to reform state PSC amid students' agitation

Aizawl: The Mizoram government has decided to constitute a reform panel to strengthen the Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) and improve its efficiency, following an agitation by an influential student organisation, an official said on Wednesday. Members of Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) have been picketing the MPSC office since Monday, demanding structural and recruitment reforms as well as additional manpower to strengthen the commission.

The creation of the proposed reform panel was announced during a meeting involving leaders of the MZP, representatives of students affected by the present recruitment process and officials of the MPSC in Aizawl on Wednesday, the official said. The meeting discussed various grievances raised by the students and issues concerning the commission, he said.

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Mizoram to form MPSC reform panel

State Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms Secretary Udit Prakash Rai, who chaired the meeting, informed the participants that the state government had decided to constitute an MPSC Reform Committee and that the matter had already been referred to the Chief Minister, the official added.

Functionaries of MZP have been picketing the MPSC office since Monday, preventing staff from entering the premises. Prior to this, they had also staged demonstrations outside the MPSC office on August 6 and August 7. The ongoing agitation has prompted the MPSC to indefinitely postpone several ongoing recruitment processes, including written tests and personal interviews.

Student group seeks OTR reforms

The MZP alleged that repeated administrative shortcomings in recent recruitments had undermined the confidence of job aspirants and raised concerns over the One-Time Registration (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.

MPSC rejects MZP’s OTR demands

The MPSC, however, rejected the MZP's demands, including discontinuation of the OTR system, saying such a move would create fresh complications for job aspirants and undermine a uniform recruitment process. It claimed that the OTR mechanism was introduced to streamline the recruitment process and ensure fairness and equality in public employment.

It also said that arrangement of one-time offline opportunity for candidates rejected over incomplete OTR document uploads would violate the principle of equal treatment because candidates who had submitted complete applications within the prescribed period would be placed at a disadvantage.

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MPSC cites pending court case

Pointing out that some candidates whose applications were rejected over incomplete or late document uploads have approached the Aizawl bench of Gauhati High Court, the MPSC also said that changing the existing procedure while the matter is pending before the court would not be appropriate.

Expressing "serious concern" over the continuation of the protest, the MPSC, in a statement earlier, had said that the disruption was affecting candidates appearing for personal interviews and written examinations and could delay promotions of government officers. It also claimed that efforts were continuing to improve the online recruitment portal.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the MZP after meeting with officials on Wednesday said that the organisation will continue its agitation till the government issues a formal order constituting the MPSC reform panel.