Mizoram PSC puts recruitment on hold after student protest

The Story in Brief

The Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) has indefinitely postponed all recruitment activities after the influential student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) began picketing its office on Monday, August 10. The protest, which entered its second day on Tuesday, has prevented staff from entering the premises. The MPSC has deferred written exams and personal interviews scheduled between August 11 and 14, and advised departments to make alternative arrangements for question paper distribution.

The MZP is demanding structural reforms, additional manpower, and the scrapping of the One Time Registration (OTR) system. It alleges that administrative shortcomings and incomplete OTR document uploads have disqualified candidates who cleared written exams. The MPSC defends OTR, saying it ensures fairness and that only about 500 candidates may have been affected. Some rejected candidates have approached the Gauhati High Court, and the commission says it cannot change procedures while the matter is pending.