Manipur govt. refuses transportation arrangements for UPSC exams outside state; offers reimbursement

Guwahati: The state government of Manipur has informed the Delhi High Court that it will not arrange any transportation facilities for students from hill districts to UPSC Civil Services Exam centres located outside the state.

This decision of the state government comes in response to a PIL filed by the Zomi Students Federation, citing security concerns and suggesting that students from hill districts arrange their own transport and accommodation, while the government would offer reimbursement.

Agreeing with the state government’s stance, a division bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, appreciated the government’s reasoning.

According to IANS, the court said the provision of financial assistance to students opting for exam centres beyond Manipur and stressed the importance of respecting the government’s assessment of security situations in the hill districts.

The state government’s counsel submitted that there are security risks associated with transporting groups of students together, prompting the court to accept the state’s decision.

Moreover, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) assured the court that candidates from Manipur’s hill districts who initially selected Imphal as their exam centre could opt for alternative centres, such as Aizawl, Kohima, Dispur, Jorhat, Kolkata, and Delhi.

The UPSC portal will be re-opened for this purpose from April 8 to April 19, with candidate details shared with the Manipur government.

The court was presented with a letter from Manipur’s Chief Secretary affirming the state’s commitment to providing financial assistance to candidates.

Considering the security risks involved in government-arranged transportation, the bench accepted the state’s position and disposed of the PIL, while allowing the petitioner federation to seek further clarification or modification of the order if needed.