In defence of MCSCCE 2016 interview qualified candidates

Kongkham Bipin *

Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) Building in Imphal in March 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." – Adolf Hitler.

This old Nazi propaganda comes to mind while going through the recent malicious tirade against the Manipur Public Service Commission by some MCSCCE 2016 (Mains) unsuccessful candidates and their uncanny protégés.

Newspaper reports and op-eds have been recently covering accusations against the Commission as well those who qualified for the interview. The invectives range from openly defaming the Commission to outrightly accusing the interview-qualified candidates of having bribed to clear the written Mains examination.

Nothing can be more denigrating and further from the truth. While their grievances can be addressed through proper channels and through litigation (which they already have), the defamatory and unfounded accusations on those who have qualified for the interview is most unfortunate.

It is a direct insult to the months and years of hard work and dedication put into the exam. It is a direct insult to the true merit, honesty and integrity of the successful candidates. It amounts to nothing less than defamation and libel.

I would like to throw light on only two points of contention on which the unsuccessful candidates have so vigorously hinged their unabashed accusations.

The first pertains to the matter of allowing extra answer sheets. Yes, an instruction on the 34 page answer booklet said extra answer sheets will not be provided.

But for the sake of truth, every candidate knows that the invigilators in both centres allowed anyone demanding extra papers to have the same. There was no discrimination; those who needed were given, those who didn't wrote within the 34 page booklet .

There were no complaints at any point of time from any candidate. Indeed there was need for none. The principle of justice and equal opportunity was never violated.

Secondly, the accusations regarding the 40 percent cutoff marks for General English qualifying paper also initially went without any complaints.

One can only admire the academic genius of those candidates who cannot score 40 percent in a High School (Matric) level basic General English paper.

What will be the quality of their answers for the remaining papers which are all written in English, except for the Manipuri optional paper, if any?

Mains examination answers are about precision, economy, exactness and quality rather than bogus, superficial, quantitatively lengthy answers that come from rote learning or digesting coaching-class notes.

The effort to malign the successful candidates and bring in indecorous accusations through propaganda-like lies is an affront to individual self respect and worth.

This will set off an unhealthy precedent where obstructionism will become the order of the day. Under the present circumstances, certain unsuccessful candidates would have called for cancellation of the Mains result had it been declared after two months or twenty (based on the extra answer sheet issue/non-issue).

It is hoped that the honourable judiciary and the 'powers-that-be' will take due cognizance of this. Without any ill-feeling and malice to anyone, it is high time people started accepting failure with humility and grace.

It certainly is an eyesore reading the tedious rigmarole of self-styled 'victims of injustice' (as they claim) writing op-ed articles with sporadic shots of high-end vocabulary dotted with schoolboy grammar and misplaced metaphor.