Guwahati was designated as a second examination centre this year to accommodate tribal candidates who could not travel to Imphal amid security challenges since May 2023. The decision aimed to ensure fairness and safety for all qualified aspirants, especially those displaced by the conflict in Manipur’s hill and valley regions.
BY PC Bureau
November 9: In a major embarrassment for the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC), two key papers of the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination 2022 were cancelled on Sunday after a question paper mix-up shocked candidates across both Imphal and Guwahati centres.
The blunder surfaced minutes after the morning session began, when candidates expecting General Studies Paper-III discovered that they had been given General Studies Paper-IV instead. Confusion quickly spread through examination halls as invigilators scrambled to verify the error.
Within hours, the MPSC announced the cancellation of both GS Paper-III and Paper-IV, including the afternoon session. The commission assured that fresh dates would be announced soon, though none had been issued till late Sunday evening.
TSA Strongly Condemns MPSC for Gross Negligence in Mains Examination
MEDIA RELEASE
Imphal, the 9th November, 20251. The Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) strongly condemns the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) for its gross negligence in the conduct of the MPSC Mains… pic.twitter.com/rr0pfPUUjx
— Thadou Students’ Association (@TSA_GHQ) November 9, 2025
Why Guwahati Was a Venue
Guwahati was designated as a second examination centre this year to accommodate tribal candidates who could not travel to Imphal due to security challenges, which have severely disrupted normal life in Manipur since May 2023. The MPSC decided to hold the exam simultaneously in Imphal and Guwahati to ensure that all qualified aspirants—especially those who had fled or relocated—could safely participate.
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Candidates Decry Administrative Negligence
For hundreds of aspirants, the incident was demoralising and costly. “We travelled for days, spent on lodging, and gave our best preparation—only for this blunder,” said Moirangthem Premjit, a candidate outside the Guwahati centre. “The commission must explain how such a basic mistake happened and ensure the rescheduled papers are leak-proof.”
Another candidate, requesting anonymity, said, “Many of us have upcoming UPSC or other state service exams. If the reschedule clashes, it could ruin months of planning.”
Condemnation
Meanwhile, the Thadou Students’ Association (TSA) has condemned MPSC over what it described as “gross negligence” in conducting the Manipur Civil Services (Main) Examination 2025, held on November 9.
In a statement, the TSA said the Commission’s failure to adhere to basic examination protocols resulted in the wrongful distribution of the General Studies Paper IV—originally scheduled for the afternoon session—instead of the intended Paper III during the forenoon session. The error, despite multiple verification checkpoints, caused widespread confusion and distress among hundreds of aspirants who had spent years preparing for the exam. Reports from Guwahati, one of the two centres, suggest candidates there were particularly affected, suffering repeated cancellations, financial losses, and severe disruptions to their study schedules.
Calling it a “serious breach of trust,” the TSA said this repeated pattern of administrative lapses reveals “institutional incompetence and disregard for due diligence.” The association recalled the 2016 MPSC examination fiasco that led to years of halted recruitment, warning that the latest blunder has once again tarnished the Commission’s credibility and shaken public faith in the fairness of the state’s recruitment process.
Past Controversies Resurface
The fiasco has reignited criticism of the MPSC’s examination process. The commission has previously faced allegations of paper leaks, procedural lapses, and irregularities in recruitment, which have repeatedly eroded public trust.
Legal experts noted that candidates may approach the Gauhati High Court seeking compensation for travel and opportunity costs. However, most aspirants simply want a transparent and fair re-examination.
As of Sunday night, the MPSC had not issued any update beyond its cancellation notice, leaving hundreds of anxious candidates refreshing the commission’s website for news.
