Shillong, August 14 (IANS): The Meghalaya Cabinet on Thursday approved an expert committee’s recommendation to introduce a dedicated state-specific paper in the Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) competitive examination, paving the way for a new Paper VI focused exclusively on Meghalaya. The committee was led by former UPSC chairman David Syiemlieh, and Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said he had received the panel’s report and shared the development on social media.
The proposed Paper VI will cover the state’s history, culture, traditional institutions and systems, society, economy and other topics deemed essential for understanding Meghalaya. Sangma said the aim is to ensure MCS officers possess a comprehensive knowledge of the state’s distinctive social, cultural and administrative landscape. “The objective being that MCS officers must have knowledge of the state, including its history, its culture, its different systems, and different economic aspects,” he said after the Cabinet meeting.
The expert committee was tasked with defining the structure and scope of the Meghalaya-specific paper. Cabinet approval now authorises its inclusion in the MCS syllabus, although officials indicate that further procedural steps will be required before the paper is implemented.
Policymakers and officials have increasingly emphasised the need to strengthen state-specific knowledge among civil servants, particularly in Meghalaya where customary practices and traditional institutions play a significant role in governance.
Supporters say the dedicated paper should encourage aspirants to study the state’s historical evolution, cultural diversity and governance systems, producing a state civil service better equipped to address local issues and implement policies sensitively and effectively. The Cabinet decision was one of several measures approved at Thursday’s meeting.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/meghalaya-cabinet-clears-dedicated-state-paper-for-mcs-examination-conrad-sangma
Category: North-East
Tags:
Publish Date: 2026-08-14 17:12:00
