Manipur: Centre Approves UPSC Mains Centre and Meitei Mayek Script
The Union Government has approved the establishment of a Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services (Mains) Examination Centre in Imphal from 2026 onwards. The announcement was made by Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Sanajaoba expressed gratitude to the Government of India, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for responding to concerns raised regarding aspirants from Manipur who had to travel long distances to appear for the Mains examination.
He recalled that the demand for a UPSC (Mains) centre in Imphal was first raised through a Special Mention in the Rajya Sabha on March 22, 2021. Subsequently, on August 10, 2022, he wrote to the Prime Minister seeking sympathetic consideration for candidates facing logistical and financial challenges.
Approval of Meitei Mayek Script
The MP also highlighted progress on language-related concerns. Earlier, candidates opting for Manipuri language and literature were required to write answers in the Bengali script, which posed difficulties for many who were unfamiliar with it.
Following a Special Mention raised on February 8, 2023, the Union Government approved the use of the Meitei Mayek script in Civil Services examinations for the Manipuri optional paper.
During the 2026 Budget Session, Sanajaoba further urged authorities to ensure that question papers for the Manipuri optional subject are printed in Meitei Mayek alongside the Bengali script, noting that many students are proficient only in Meitei Mayek.
Describing the developments as a significant milestone, the MP conveyed appreciation to the Centre on behalf of Civil Services aspirants in Manipur, stating that the decisions address long-standing concerns of students in the state.
