Jowai: Fresh recruitment drives in the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya have run into turbulence as student representatives demand an immediate halt to upcoming selection tests. The Jaintia Students Union (JSU) has formally approached the district administration, urging them to put on hold the proposed District Selection Committee (DSC) Grade-IV written examination due to lingering transparency issues and unresolved recruitment cycles from previous years.
Memorandum Submitted to Deputy Commissioner
According to the JSU Central Body, a detailed memorandum has been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of West Jaintia Hills. The union has pressed for the latest recruitment notifications to be kept in abeyance until the pending results of the 2021 Grade-IV recruitment process are officially declared and longstanding allegations regarding irregularities are fully addressed by the authorities.
Delayed Results From the 2021 Cycle
The core grievance stems from the previous recruitment timeline. The union noted that candidates who successfully qualified in the earlier Grade-IV written examination appeared for personal interviews as recently as June 2026. However, the final results for this batch are still awaiting release, leaving hundreds of aspiring candidates trapped in a prolonged state of uncertainty and professional limbo.
Alleged Anomalies in Evaluation and Shortlisting
Beyond the delayed timelines, the student body highlighted serious concerns regarding the evaluation and shortlisting mechanisms employed by the DSC. Pointing to past irregularities, the union cited the Lower Division Assistant (LDA) recruitment drive, alleging that candidates who managed to secure marks as low as three were inexplicably called forward for personal interviews. Similar discrepancies were flagged regarding the handling of Grade-IV answer scripts, marks tabulation, and the criteria used to filter candidates.
Legal Proceedings Before the High Court
The controversy surrounding the fairness of these examinations has already entered the judicial arena. The JSU pointed out that multiple allegations regarding DSC examinations are currently sub-judice before the Meghalaya High Court, with the state government having received clear directions to submit formal affidavits on the matter. Pushing ahead with new tests under such circumstances, the union argued, risks compounding existing legal complications.
Call for Transparency Before New Cycles
While clarifying that it is not fundamentally opposed to creating job opportunities, the students' body insisted that prior recruitment cycles for identical posts must be brought to a logical and transparent conclusion before any fresh notifications are rolled out. Consequently, the union has demanded the immediate postponement of the forthcoming written exam alongside the withholding or cancellation of the current recruitment notification.
Demands for Mark Breakdowns and Cut-Offs
In addition to halting the upcoming test, the JSU has called for the swift publication of verified final results for the 2021 Grade-IV DSC examination. Furthermore, the union wants the DSC to release comprehensive evaluation criteria, detailed mark breakdowns, and transparent cut-off lists for both the written examinations and the subsequent personal interviews.
The union maintains that all ongoing and future recruitment procedures must strictly adhere to judicial propriety and any directives issued by the High Court of Meghalaya. Expressing hope that the Deputy Commissioner's office will act swiftly, the JSU stressed that these measures are essential to guarantee fairness and safeguard the legitimate interests of job aspirants and unemployed youth across Jaintia Hills.
