UPSC aspirants urge RS MP to bat for inclusion of Meitei Mayek in Mains paper

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Dec 12 : A group of UPSC aspirants have urged MP Leishemba Sanajaoba to raise the issue of inclusion of 'Meitei Mayek' in UPSC Mains Manipuri Literature Optional Papers (Questions) in the Rajya Sabha and with the Ministry of Education and Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT).
Highlighting their demands, the Manipuri (M/M) Optional Aspirants, Manipur, submitted a memorandum to the RS MP at his Delhi residence today.
In the memorandum, the group also urged the RS MP to recommend UPSC to formally include Meitei Mayek as a script option for Manipuri language papers in the Civil Services Mains (both questions and answers) Examination.
Additionally, to ensure smooth implementation of the Meitei Mayek inclusion, it appealed MP Sanajaoba to facilitate consultations with scholars, academicians and cultural organizations.
As per UPSC norms, for Manipuri Language, question papers are printed in Bengali script, but candidates are free to answer either in Bengali or Meitei Mayek script.
Hence, candidates are compelled to read questions in Bengali script, which, according to the group, undermines the level playing field of aspirants, and cultural and linguistic identity of Manipuri literature.
The aspirant group justified their demands by highlighting that Meitei Mayek is the indigenous script of the Manipuri language and its non-inclusion in Manipuri Literature Optional Papers (Questions) examination diminishes the authenticity of Manipuri literature.
Moreover, universities and academic institutions in Manipur and across India have adopted Meitei Mayek in their curricula, research, and publications. Its recognition in UPSC would align with existing academic practices, said the group.
It further reasoned that as Manipuri has been included in the Eighth Schedule since 1992, candidates should have the right to express themselves in their authentic script. Inclusion of Meitei Mayek would uphold constitutional values of linguistic equality.
Highlighting another important point, the group asserted that allowing candidates to write in Meitei Mayek will encourage preservation and growth of indigenous literature, history, and philosophy and enrich the diversity of the civil services.
In response, MP Sanajaoba assured the aspirants that he will raise the issue with the concerned authorities.
It is worth noting that the RS MP had raised the demand to include Meitei Mayek script in UPSC Mains Examination almost three years ago during a parliamentary session on February 8, 2023 as a special motion.