During the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) mains exam, candidates at centres in Imphal and Guwahati were issued the question paper for General Studies IV instead of GS III, prompting immediate confusion.
In response, the MPSC cancelled both GS Paper III and Paper IV and announced that fresh dates would be set for the re-examination.
Aspirants have voiced frustration, citing wasted time and money, and have urged that the error reflect on the Commission’s procedural safeguards and accountability.
The Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) on Sunday postponed the examination of two papers following a “mix up” in question sets at the test centres, officials said.
The Commission said the exam date has been rescheduled for November 22.
"The Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination 2022, which began on November 7 and was scheduled to conclude today (Sunday), had to be postponed after a mix-up in question papers led to the cancellation of both General Studies Paper (GS)-III and Paper-IV," an official said.
Candidates appearing for the morning session at the Imphal centre were “mistakenly” given the question paper for GS-IV instead of GS-III, he said.
The error was detected soon after the examination began, leading to confusion among aspirants.
The Manipur Civil Services Mains Examination 2022 is being conducted at two centres – Imphal and Guwahati, the official said.
The blunder has sparked anger among aspirants, who have accused the MPSC of negligence and lack of coordination. Many described the incident as “unacceptable” and said it had shaken faith in the transparency and efficiency of the State’s premier recruitment body.
“We had prepared well for today’s paper, but now we have to start all over again,” said an aspirant to Assam Tribune, adding that the rescheduling to November 22 would force many, particularly Kuki candidates appearing from Guwahati, to incur extra travel expenses and uncertainty.
He further added that some candidates might even demand compensation, and if a legal complaint is filed, the entire examination process could face hurdles.
“MPSC has mentioned that a printing mistake caused the fiasco, but this rescheduling could lead to more complications,” he said.
-With inputs from PTI.
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