Meghalaya youth organisation seeks fresh review of teachers hit by 2008-09 recruitment row

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has urged the Meghalaya government to conduct a comprehensive review of lower primary (LP) teachers who were labelled “tainted” in the controversial 2008–09 recruitment case, following a landmark Meghalaya High Court ruling that quashed all criminal proceedings related to the alleged “white ink scam”.

The teacher recruitment process had sparked statewide outrage over allegations that score sheets were manipulated using white ink to alter marks and favour certain candidates. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and subsequent state-level inquiries categorised several candidates as “tainted”, leading to large-scale appointment cancellations, terminations, and stalled careers.

The case involved senior officials of the Education Department and former Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, who were accused of involvement in the alleged mark tampering. Over the years, multiple review processes were conducted, and candidates classified as “untainted” gradually returned to service, including 187 reinstated in 2021.

However, those still tagged “tainted” continued to face employment disqualification and social stigma for more than a decade as legal proceedings dragged on.

A decisive turn came on September 4, 2025, when the Meghalaya High Court ruled that the prosecution had failed to produce credible evidence of manipulation. The court said there was no proof of white-ink usage, tampering, or alteration of marks in the score sheets, noting that signatures and tabulation records remained consistent — effectively dismantling the foundation of the alleged scam.

Following the verdict, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem submitted a memorandum seeking immediate government action to address the plight of affected candidates.

“If the very basis of the allegations has collapsed, why must these individuals continue to bear the burden of the ‘tainted’ tag?” Synrem questioned, calling the government’s silence “deeply unjust”.

He noted that hundreds of deserving teacher candidates have endured prolonged unemployment, financial hardship and social humiliation, despite the court clearing the allegations.

“The absence of a clear policy has left them in legal and administrative limbo,” Synrem said, urging the state to align its decisions with the High Court’s findings.

The HYC called for a time-bound “review and reinstatement committee” under the Directorate of School Education and Literacy to reassess all disqualified candidates transparently, restore dignity to those wrongfully affected, and bring closure to the long-pending matter.