The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has decided to offer alternative centres to the candidates who were allotted a centre in Manipur’s Imphal for the civil services preliminary examination scheduled on May 28.
Parts of Manipur witnessed ethnic violence earlier this month which claimed over 70 lives, left several injured and displaced thousands.
The centre change option will be available to such candidates through an Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) facility, an official statement issued by the UPSC said. A message in this regard will be sent to each candidate on his/her mobile number registered with the Commission.
The candidates must use their registered mobile number to avail this facility through IVRS, it said.
After carefully reviewing the situation in the state of Manipur in consultation with the state administration, the Commission has decided to offer alternate centres to the candidates of the Imphal (Manipur) centre of the civil services preliminary examination, 2023, the statement said.
The alternative centres are Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dispur (Assam), Jorhat (Assam), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Delhi, it said.
The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages — preliminary, main and interview — to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.
Clashes broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the 10 hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence was preceded by tension over the eviction of Kuki villagers from reserve forest land, which had led to a series of smaller agitations.
At least 73 people were killed, 231 injured and 1,700 houses, including religious places, were burnt in the ethnic violence that rocked the state, officials have said.
The Commission said that a candidate may also reach office of any district administration in the state of Manipur to contact the UPSC on 011-23070641, 23381073, 23384508 & 23387876 from 12 noon of 17th May, 2023 till 5 PM of 19th May, 2023, it said. ”The district administrations will have the data of all these candidates. The district administration will allow a candidate to make call to the UPSC’s above helpline telephone numbers for availing centre change facility,” the statement said. Moreover, the option of change of centres for such candidates will also be available on the website of the UPSC (www.upsc.gov.in) from 12 noon of 17th May to 5 PM of 19th May, 2023 on round the clock basis, it said. The option to change centre of the examination is also available to those candidates who have already downloaded their e-admit cards by now, the statement said. ”On receipt of centre change options from the willing candidates through any of the above modes, they will be allocated to the venues of their chosen centres and accordingly, their new e-admit cards will be released. A message confirming the change of centres shall be sent to each such candidate on his/her registered mobile number,” it said.
The fresh e-admit cards will be available for downloading from the UPSC’s website. ”Further, these e-admit cards will be available at the state headquarters as well as district headquarters for collection by the candidates. Additionally, the e-admit cards will also be delivered at the residences of the candidates through post offices,” the statement said.
