The Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) has issued a formal clarification following the unexpected cancellation and rescheduling of the General Studies Paper-III and Paper-IV of the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination 2022.
The incident, which left aspirants shocked and distressed, took place when candidates assembled for the scheduled examination and discovered that the question paper headings did not match the content.
How the Error Occurred
In its notification released today, the Commission confirmed that the issue stemmed from a printing error at the Secured Printing Press responsible for producing the exam papers. The mix-up specifically involved Paper-IV (General Studies-III), where the heading did not correspond to the actual content printed inside.
The error came to light only after the sealed question papers were opened inside the examination halls, minutes before the exam was to begin.
The Commission emphasised that no official—neither from MPSC nor the printing press—is permitted to view or verify the question papers prior to distribution, as part of the strict confidentiality protocol in place for competitive examinations.
“It is the endeavour of the MPSC to keep full confidentiality even at the risk of not being able to detect printing errors,” the notice stated, explaining why the discrepancy could not have been detected earlier.
Commission Regrets Inconvenience to Candidates
Acknowledging the frustration and disruption caused to aspirants, MPSC expressed regret and reassured the public that accountability measures have been taken.
A strict warning has been issued to the Secured Press, with instructions to ensure that such lapses do not recur. The clarification also highlighted the importance of maintaining the integrity of the examination process, even when it limits the scope for verification.
New Exam Date Remains Unchanged
As announced earlier, the rescheduled examination for GS-III and GS-IV will now be held on November 22, 2025 (Saturday). All previous exam centres and e-Admit Cards remain valid for the revised date.
The Commission advised candidates to retain their existing admit cards and follow official updates only from MPSC’s website or authorised communication channels to avoid confusion.
Aspirants Call for Better Safeguards
While the MPSC’s clarification has helped address speculation, some candidates continue to demand more robust quality-control measures—arguing that while confidentiality is essential, systems must evolve to avoid disruptions that can affect months of preparation.
Education observers suggest exploring a two-layer sealed verification system, where a neutral oversight panel examines a randomly selected packet without compromising secrecy.
For now, candidates are back to revising for the re-scheduled papers and hoping the process proceeds smoothly on the new date.