The Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) has indefinitely postponed several ongoing recruitment and examination processes following a protest by the 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 protest continued for a second day on Tuesday, disrupting the commission’s regular operations.
In a notification, the MPSC said the situation had forced it to temporarily suspend several recruitment activities and defer programmes that had already been scheduled.
The commission said examinations for Group C posts across various departments could be affected as question papers prepared by the MPSC could not be distributed under the prevailing circumstances. The departments concerned have been asked to await further instructions, while those planning to use MPSC examination halls have been advised to make alternative arrangements.
Personal interviews for several posts have also been postponed indefinitely. These include 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.
All written examinations and personal interviews scheduled between August 11 and 14 have been deferred, with fresh dates to be announced depending on the situation.
Meetings of departmental promotion committees dealing with the promotion, regularisation and confirmation of government employees have also been temporarily suspended.
The MZP has been demanding structural reforms and additional manpower in the MPSC, alleging that repeated administrative shortcomings in recruitment processes have weakened the confidence of job aspirants.
The students’ organisation has also called for the scrapping of the existing One-Time Registration (OTR) system and its replacement with need-based, post-specific application forms. It has further sought a one-time opportunity for candidates whose applications were rejected over incomplete document uploads to submit the missing documents offline, particularly those who had cleared written examinations but were subsequently disqualified during document verification.
The MPSC has rejected these demands, arguing that scrapping the OTR system could create further complications for candidates and undermine a uniform recruitment process.
The commission said the OTR mechanism was introduced to streamline recruitment and uphold fairness and equality in public employment. It also rejected the demand for a special window for candidates whose applications were rejected because of missing documents, maintaining that such an arrangement would violate the principle of equal treatment for those who had submitted complete applications within the prescribed period.
The commission said applications could be rejected at any stage if mandatory documents were not submitted, regardless of a candidate’s performance in a written examination.
According to the MPSC, steps have already been initiated to strengthen scrutiny of applications at the initial stage, while additional manpower has also been sought to ensure proper verification of documents during submission.
The commission said efforts were also underway to improve its online recruitment portal and appealed to the MZP to withdraw its agitation and allow employees to enter the office.
The continuing standoff has raised concerns among job aspirants in Mizoram, as the disruption could affect recruitment examinations, interviews and departmental promotion processes across the state.
