The CRPF has announced alternate examination centers for Kuki community candidates appearing for CT/GD Exam-2025 in Manipur, ensuring safety and accessibility amid ongoing ethnic tensions.
BY PC Bureau
August 19, 2025 — In a move aimed at ensuring the safety and participation of candidates from the Kuki community, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has issued directives to shift examination centers for the CT/GD Exam-2025 in the CAPFs, SSF, NCB, and Assam Rifles. The decision comes against the backdrop of ongoing security concerns in Manipur following the May 3, 2023, ethnic clashes, which left around 260 people dead.
More than 1,500 aspirants from the Kuki community are expected to appear in the exams. Originally scheduled at GC CRPF, Langing, Imphal, the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and Physical Standard Test (PST) centers for Kuki candidates have now been moved to STC, BSF, Churachandpur. The schedule is set for September 1, 2025, for male candidates and September 2, 2025, for female candidates and others left out. Candidates facing difficulties traveling to Churachandpur are allowed to appear at the Assam Rifles Training Centre, Dimapur, on the dates mentioned in their admit cards.
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The notice, signed by Prashant Dar, DIG (Recruitment) CRPF, was also shared with the Kuki Students’ Organisation and local education officials to ensure smooth dissemination of information and facilitate the PST/PET process. The CRPF has also uploaded the notice on its official website for broader awareness.
The shift in exam centers responds to repeated demands by Kuki student and community organizations, who have raised concerns over safety and accessibility for aspirants from conflict-affected areas. The May 3, 2023, ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities significantly restricted the movement of Kuki candidates to Imphal, intensifying calls for alternate arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Kuki community has expressed gratitude to the CRPF for facilitating the participation of Kuki-Zo candidates in the upcoming PET/PST examinations.
In a letter addressed to Ghanshyam Behwal, IPS, Deputy Inspector General, CRPF, Kangvai, Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing, President of Lamka City of Hope and Vice President of the Kuki People’s Alliance, acknowledged the personal efforts of DIG Behwal in enabling candidates to appear at alternative centers in Churachandpur STC BSF or Assam Rifles Dimapur.
“We have been informed through Brigadier Prashant of your concern and personal facilitation in enabling Kuki-Zo candidates to appear for the PET/PST examinations,” the letter stated. “This kind and thoughtful initiative has brought immense relief and encouragement to our aspiring youth, who were otherwise facing uncertainty and difficulty in pursuing this important opportunity.”
The letter further highlighted that DIG Behwal’s gesture not only demonstrates administrative efficiency but also reflects empathy and commitment toward ensuring fairness and accessibility for minority candidates. “It has sent a strong message of hope and reassurance to our people in these challenging times,” the Kuki community leaders wrote..
This expression of thanks comes alongside ongoing appeals by Kuki student groups urging the state government to establish exam centers in hill districts such as Churachandpur and Kangpokpi for the Manipur Public Service Commission examinations, ensuring equitable opportunities for all aspirants amid lingering ethnic tensions.
Last month, the Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) General Headquarters has appealed to Manipur Governor AK Bhalla, highlighting concerns over unequal access to government job examinations amid continuing ethnic tensions in the state.
The organisation pointed out that Kuki-Zo students and youth are at a disadvantage due to centralized exam centers in Imphal, which reportedly overlook candidates from hill districts such as Churachandpur and Kangpokpi.
Thangmoi Haokip, Education Secretary of KSO General Headquarters, noted that the upcoming Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) main examinations are largely scheduled in Imphal and urged the Governor to set up additional exam centers in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi to ensure fair access.
Haokip emphasized that the current arrangement disproportionately affects minority Kuki candidates and called for immediate corrective measures. Despite prior appeals to state authorities, including the UPSC Chairman and Chief Secretary, no concrete steps have been taken to accommodate candidates in these districts, with efforts limited to offering financial assistance.
The KSO urged the Governor’s office to facilitate inclusive and peaceful examination conditions for all MPSC aspirants, regardless of community, underscoring the need for equitable opportunities across the state amid ongoing ethnic tensions.
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By shifting the exam centers, the CRPF aims to accommodate some of these concerns for more than 1,500 Kuki aspirants, ensuring that security concerns do not prevent them from pursuing careers in India’s paramilitary forces. This step, while addressing immediate logistical and safety challenges, also highlights the broader necessity of engaging with Kuki community demands to foster long-term peace and stability in Manipur.
