Mizoram PSC halts recruitment process amid students’ agitation

The Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) has indefinitely postponed several ongoing recruitment and examination processes following a protest by the influential Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) over alleged shortcomings in the commission’s functioning.

MZP members have been picketing outside the MPSC office since Monday, preventing employees from entering the premises. The agitation continued for a second day on Tuesday.

In a notification, the MPSC said the disruption had forced it to temporarily suspend several recruitment-related activities and defer programmes that had already been scheduled.

The commission said examinations for Group C posts under various departments could be affected as question papers prepared by the MPSC could not be distributed amid the prevailing situation. Departments concerned have been asked to await further instructions, while departments that had planned to use MPSC examination halls have been advised to make alternative arrangements.

Personal interviews for several posts, including Assistant Audit and Accounts Officer, Assistant Accounts Officer (Treasury), Assistant Accounts Officer (Works) under the Finance Department and Field Facilitator under the Social Welfare, Women and Child Development Department, have also been postponed indefinitely.

All written examinations and personal interviews scheduled between August 11 and 14 have been deferred. Fresh dates will be announced depending on the situation, the commission said.

Meetings of departmental promotion committees for promotion, regularisation and confirmation of government employees have also been temporarily postponed.

The MZP has been demanding structural reforms and additional manpower in the MPSC, alleging that repeated administrative shortcomings in recruitment exercises have undermined the confidence of job aspirants.

The students’ organisation has also demanded that the existing One-Time Registration (OTR) system be scrapped and replaced with need-based, post-specific application forms. It has sought a one-time opportunity for candidates whose applications were rejected due to incomplete document uploads to submit the missing documents offline, particularly those who had cleared written examinations but were later disqualified during document verification.

The MPSC, however, has rejected these demands, maintaining that scrapping the OTR system would create fresh complications for candidates and undermine a uniform recruitment process.

The commission said the OTR mechanism was introduced to streamline recruitment and ensure fairness and equality in public employment.

On the demand for a special window for candidates whose applications were rejected for missing documents, the MPSC said such a provision would violate the principle of equal treatment and disadvantage candidates who had submitted complete applications within the stipulated period.

It maintained that applications could be rejected at any stage if mandatory documents were missing, irrespective of a candidate’s performance in a written examination.

The commission said it had already initiated measures to improve scrutiny of applications at the initial stage and had sought additional manpower to ensure documents were properly verified when applications are submitted.

The MPSC also said efforts were underway to improve its online recruitment portal and urged the student organisation to withdraw the agitation and allow employees to enter the commission’s office.

The ongoing standoff has raised concerns among job aspirants as the disruption could affect several recruitment examinations, interviews and departmental promotion processes in the state.