Manipur civil services exam rescheduled after printing error discovered minutes before start

The Manipur Public Service Commission has rescheduled two papers of the Civil Services Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination, 2022, after discovering a printing error just moments before candidates were due to begin writing.

Paper-IV (General Studies-III) and Paper-V (General Studies-IV), originally scheduled for November 9, will now be held on November 22, 2025 (Saturday). The error came to light when invigilators opened the sealed question paper cover in the examination hall and found a mismatch between the heading on the paper and its actual content.

The commission clarified that the printing mistake by the secured press could not be detected earlier due to strict confidentiality protocols. "No official from the MPSC is allowed to see the Question Papers to keep full confidentiality, and the question paper is opened only in front of the candidates in the examination hall," the notification stated.

The commission emphasised that maintaining confidentiality remains paramount, even if it means being unable to spot printing errors beforehand. "It is the endeavour of the MPSC to keep full confidentiality even at the risk of being not able to detect errors in the printing of the question papers, as confidentiality is paramount," officials said.

Controller of Examination Kh. Lalmani Singh signed the clarification notice dated Imphal, 9 November 2025, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused to candidates. The commission has issued a stern warning to the secured press not to repeat such errors in future.

The rescheduled examination will take place nearly two weeks after the original date, giving the commission time to ensure fresh question papers are printed accurately and distributed under proper security protocols.