Northeast Desk, 19th March: The Delhi High Court was informed on Tuesday that the Manipur government is in favor of establishing centers outside the troubled northeastern state for conducting civil services preliminary examinations, scheduled for May 26.
Manipur’s Stand on Additional Examination Centers:
The counsel representing the Manipur government informed the court, hearing a plea seeking additional examination centers in the state for civil services and Indian Forest Service aspirants, that the chief secretary has expressed support for this initiative. The government has pledged to provide financial assistance to aspirants for traveling to centers outside the state, given the prolonged ethnic strife in Manipur.
Court’s Observations and Instructions to UPSC:
In light of Manipur’s stance, a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan observed that holding the examinations outside the state, as done last year, may be appropriate. The bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, directed the counsel for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to seek instructions on the matter.
Following Previous Year’s Pattern:
The bench suggested following the pattern established in 2023 and instructed the UPSC to consider the feasibility of conducting the examinations outside Manipur. It expressed a preliminary inclination towards this approach, pending further instructions from the UPSC.