Meghalaya launches Ascent 2026 as seven candidates clear UPSC prelims

Meghalaya has launched a state-wide initiative aimed at improving preparation for national-level competitive examinations, with the government announcing financial support for seven candidates from the state who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination this year.

The initiative, Ascent 2026, was organised by the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI) at Mawdiangdiang in Shillong on August 12. The programme brought together civil service aspirants, administrators, educators, parents and experts to discuss ways to strengthen Meghalaya's performance in examinations such as the UPSC, JEE and NEET.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma distributed CM-INSPIRE incentive cheques of Rs 50,000 each to seven UPSC Preliminary Examination qualifiers. Under the scheme, candidates who clear the Preliminary examination receive Rs 50,000, while those who qualify for the Main examination are eligible for Rs 1 lakh.

The financial assistance is intended to reduce the cost burden of long-term civil services preparation and encourage more candidates from Meghalaya to pursue the All India Services.

Addressing the aspirants, Sangma said the state needed to build a sustained ecosystem around competitive examinations rather than rely on individual efforts. He said the government was working towards creating similar support systems across sports, STEM, innovation, entrepreneurship and competitive examinations.

He also urged aspirants to examine their reasons for wanting to join the civil services and remain focused on public service.

“My dream is to see a day when the Cabinet Secretaries of the Government of India hail from Meghalaya,” he said.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated MATI's Digital Learning Lab, established under the ACTI scheme with support from the Department of Personnel and Training. The facility will be used to develop digital training content for the national iGOT platform.

Successful candidates trained at MATI's All India Services Pre-Examination Training Centre were also felicitated during the programme for securing positions in government departments and the banking sector.

MATI Director General Cyril V Diengdoh said Ascent 2026 was intended to develop a structured approach to preparing young people for competitive examinations.

He said MATI had trained nearly 5,000 government officials through more than 240 sessions over the past year, besides conducting specialised programmes for senior officials and expanding training for Grade 4 employees and drivers.

Diengdoh also stressed the need for greater ambition among young people, arguing that a lack of talent or intelligence was not necessarily the reason for Meghalaya's limited representation in national competitive examinations.

MATI Director Swapnil Tembe said the state needed to begin preparing students much earlier for examinations such as the UPSC, JEE and NEET.

According to Tembe, seven candidates from Meghalaya clearing the UPSC Preliminary examination this year marks a record for the state, while five of them were supported through the CM-INSPIRE initiative.

He said Meghalaya produces around 20,000 to 30,000 graduates each year, but aspirations and preparation often remain focused on state-level opportunities. He called for career guidance from the school level, greater emphasis on conceptual learning rather than rote memorisation, stronger STEM education and the development of study and coaching networks in Shillong, Tura and Jowai.

UPSC Preliminary qualifier Menangtei Kuparlang Thangkhiew said the financial assistance under CM-INSPIRE would help candidates meet the costs associated with prolonged preparation. He also said Meghalaya needed more bureaucrats who understood the state's socio-economic realities and could address issues at the grassroots level.

Sessions at Ascent 2026 covered examination strategy, long-term planning, analytical skills, time management, revision techniques and alternative career pathways. Speakers also discussed changes in school education, competency-based learning, the use of generative AI as a supplementary study tool and ways to manage stress during examination preparation.

The programme also brought together parents, school principals and coaching institutes to discuss how government institutions, educational establishments and families could work together to create a stronger support system for aspirants.