Assam job panel to drop controversial question on Manipur crisis
The Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) has decided to 'drop/delete/cancel' a Manipur-related controversial question in an examination conducted on August 8 to recruit agricultural development officers.
In a letter to APSC Chairperson Debaraj Upadhaya on August 17, the Meitei Heritage Society (MHS) stated that question no 95 in the exam paper was malicious, disturbing, and misleading. The question was on the conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities and the role of Arambai Tenggol and Meitei Leepun, two radical groups.
'Such a one-sided portrayal is unbecoming of a Public Service Commission, whose mandate is to recruit public servants committed to fairness, impartiality, and service to the nation without prejudice,' the MHS said.
The MHS expressed serious concern for 'selectively targeting one community while ignoring publicly available data on the role of Chin-Kuki militants and their civil society organisations'. It cited reports by the National Investigation Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, and a Supreme Court-appointed committee to make a point.
'Such misrepresentation not only tarnishes the image of a community but also undermines the credibility of the Commission,' the Meitei group said, requesting the APSC to issue a clarification acknowledging the biased nature of the question and declare the objectionable question null and void, ensuring it is not used for evaluation purposes.
'After considering our representation, the APSC informed us today (Tuesday) that it has decided to drop/delete/cancel question number 95,' an MHS spokesperson said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
4 minutes ago
- Mint
‘Vote Chori' Row: PIL in SC seeks SIT probe into Rahul Gandhi's allegations against EC
A public interest litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an SIT probe into the 'vote chori' allegations made by Rahul Gandhi against the BJP and Election Commission (EC). The PIL, filed by a lawyer, advocate Rohit Pandey, seeks directions from the Supreme Court to construct a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and look into the accusations made by the Leader of Opposition (LoP) at the Lok Sabha in recent days. Gandhi has alleged that there has been a large-scale electoral roll manipulation in Bengaluru Central and several other constituencies during Lok Sabha elections. "Upon coming across credible revelations, including a press conference dated 07.08.2025 by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, alleging large-scale manipulation of genuine voters' names, and inclusion of fictitious entries in the electoral rolls of the Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency (falling within the Bengaluru Central Parliamentary Constituency), the Petitioner became gravely concerned, as such actions, if true, strike at the core of the "one person, one vote" principle enshrined under Articles 325 and 326 of the Constitution," the plea states. The petitioner further said that upon independently verifying the authenticity of the reports cited through publicly available government data, it was found that there was sufficient prima facie material indicating that the allegations reveal a systemic attempt to dilute and distort the value of lawful votes. It therefore sought an urgent intervention from the Supreme Court. 'The allegations of dilution of the purity of electoral rolls directly undermines the constitutional vision of free and fair elections in the eyes of the community at large,' it says. The plea also urges the SC to give directions to frame and issue binding guidelines to the Election Commission to ensure transparency, accountability and integrity in the preparation, maintenance and publication of electoral rolls, including mechanisms for detection and prevention of duplicate or fictitious entries. It also sought a direction to the EC to publish electoral rolls in accessible, machine-readable and OCR-compliant formats to enable meaningful verification, audit and public scrutiny.
The Hindu
4 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Manipur violence was not spontaneous, but planned, ethnically targeted and facilitated by state failures: report
Apart from historical factors such as ethnic divisions, socio-political marginalisation and land disputes, what led to escalation of feelings of mistrust and enmity between the warring Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities were the systematic hate campaign played out through digital media and statements made by the political leadership in the prelude to the conflict, said Independent People's Tribunal's report on the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, which was released in Delhi on Wednesday (August 20, 2025). The report also highlighted that the violence was not spontaneous, but planned, ethnically targeted and facilitated by state failures. The tribunal, constituted by the People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) in 2024, was chaired by Kurian Joseph, former judge, Supreme Court, also had members who were former High Court judges, ex-IAS officers, ex-IPS officers, advocates, authors, professors, journalists, human rights activists, among others. In its 694-page report, the jury stressed that more than 60,000 internally displaced people still remain in camps in Manipur with no end in sight. High Court directive The tribunal said the Manipur High Court's March 27, 2023 directive, recommending Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Meiteis served as a vital trigger, as it was perceived by the tribal groups, including the Kuki-Zo groups and the Nagas, as a threat to their constitutional protections. This in turn sparked protests across all tribal districts, leading to a major protest programme on May 3, 2023 in all the hill districts. While by and large the protests ended peacefully, violence erupted in a few places, which soon engulfed the whole State. Another contending narrative was the involvement of Kukis in poppy cultivation, in line with the then Chief Minister Biren Singh's 'war on drugs', which translated into popular propaganda against Kukis, the report stated. After meeting people from all walks of life, including the survivors and victims in different districts of Manipur, including Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, Kangpokpi, Senapati followed by sittings in Delhi, the tribunal recorded the testimonies of the survivors, which, it says present a stark picture of the failure of the state authorities and institutions to protect them, leaving them to fend for themselves. The tribunal also notes the failure of the Central government to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to ensure that Manipur remained under the regime of both rule of law and the Constitution. The overwhelming evidence placed before the tribunal lays bare the gruesome and systemic nature of the violence, the role of the radical groups, the failure of state institutions and the immense humanitarian fallout that followed, it said. The report also attributed a significant role to the media in the conflict, which actively shaped public perception and escalated tensions. While the print media was partisan and lacked investigative rigour, digital channels and social media were used to spread unverified and inflammatory content. From poor arrangements in camps to dismal healthcare, the tribunal's report painted a poor picture of relief and rehabilitation in violence-hit Manipur. The tribunal suggested that India's judiciary, Parliament and civil society must come forward to reclaim their duty and ensure that Manipur does not become a template for future impunity. It also demanded a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the conflict and emphasised that lasting peace in Manipur requires structural changes, community dialogue, legal accountability and sustained moral leadership.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
No kennel space, can't take in more stray dogs, ABC centres tell MCD
All animal birth control (ABC) centres in Delhi, on Wednesday, expressed their inability to take in any more stray dogs, citing lack of kennel space and financial constraints, TOI has learnt. This was hours after an MCD officer directed NGOs running the ABC centres to start picking up "aggressive dogs" from vulnerable points, despite Delhi CM Rekha Gupta recently asking officials concerned to refrain from taking any "harsh action" against strays till the Supreme Court pronounces its final order on the issue. Seeking anonymity, ABC centre officials told TOI, "We have informed MCD in writing that all our kennels are full. ABC centres are small and designed for only carrying out sterilisation. Not a single ABC centre in Delhi is equipped to handle long-term housing of strays." This clearly validates the stand of protesting animal rights activists who have described the Supreme Court's Aug 11 order to remove all Delhi-NCR stray dogs to distant shelters as "inhumane, unscientific & illegal" and one that doesn't take into account the practical limitations of existing infra and resources. In fact, on Tuesday only, the central government informed Parliament that it intends to regulate street dog population through its ABC programme that mandates local civic bodies to catch and release strays back to their original locations post-sterilisation. The ABC rules, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, align with standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health and promote the "Capture-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release method" for humane and effective stray population management, junior animal husbandry minister SP Singh Baghel had said.
