Manipur Civil Services exam mix-up: Wrong paper issued, re-exam on Nov 22

Imphal, Nov 9: A major administrative error disrupted the Manipur Civil Services (Mains) Examination 2022 on Saturday, sparking anger among aspirants.

Candidates at both the Imphal and Guwahati examination centres were mistakenly issued the question paper for General Studies (GS) Paper-IV during the morning session, which was meant for Paper-III.

The error was detected within minutes of the exam’s beginning, leading to chaos and confusion among candidates.

Terming the mix-up a “technical issue”, the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) promptly cancelled both GS Paper-III and Paper-IV.

In a notification issued later in the day, the Commission said that fresh dates for the cancelled exams had been set for November 22.

As per the revised schedule, Paper-IV (General Studies-III) will be held from 9 am to 12 noon, followed by Paper-V (General Studies-IV) from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

“The examination venues remain the same, and the earlier e-Admit Cards shall also remain valid for the rescheduled papers,” the Commission’s statement read.

Clarifying the issue, the Commission said it originated at the secured printing press.

"As it was discovered while opening the sealed cover just before the start of the examination that there was a mismatch between heading of the Question Paper for Paper IV (General Studies- III) with the content inside due to an error of the Secured Printing Press," a statement from Kh Lalmani Singh, Controller of Examination, MPSC, read.

The blunder has sparked anger among aspirants, who have accused the MPSC of negligence and lack of coordination. Many described the incident as “unacceptable” and said it had shaken faith in the transparency and efficiency of the State’s premier recruitment body.

“We had prepared well for today’s paper, but now we have to start all over again,” said an aspirant, adding that the rescheduling to November 22 would force many, particularly Kuki candidates appearing from Guwahati, to incur extra travel expenses and uncertainty.

He further added that some candidates might even demand compensation, and if a legal complaint is filed, the entire examination process could face hurdles.

“MPSC has mentioned that a printing mistake caused the fiasco, but this rescheduling could lead to more complications,” he said.

“Many of us work in government or private sectors and had taken special leave to appear for this exam. How will we manage the new schedule now?” another aspirant, requesting anonymity.

The examination, conducted simultaneously at the Office of the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) in Guwahati and the Imphal Centre, saw 199 candidates appear from the Guwahati venue alone.