MZP pickets MPSC office in Aizawl over OTR, recruitment concerns

Hundreds of members of the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) staged a protest outside the Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) office on Monday, demanding administrative and recruitment reforms.

The student organisation picketed the office and prevented officials and staff from entering. The demonstration remained largely peaceful, although a brief scuffle broke out between police and protesters when officials attempted to enter.

The MZP called for structural reforms and additional manpower to improve the commission’s efficiency and restore confidence among job seekers. It demanded that the existing One Time Registration (OTR) system be scrapped and replaced with post-specific application forms.

The organisation also sought a one-time opportunity for candidates rejected because of incomplete OTR uploads to submit missing documents offline, particularly those who cleared written examinations but were later disqualified during verification.

MZP president Dr C Lalremruata said the agitation would be intensified until the demands were addressed.

The commission defended OTR, saying it simplifies applications, promotes fairness and reduces repetitive data entry and errors. Candidates upload personal details and documents once for retrieval in later applications.

MPSC officials said similar OTR systems are widely used by service commissions and argued there was no justification for replacing the mechanism or allowing offline submissions. They warned changes could affect appointments finalised.

The MPSC processed about 50,000 applications in 2025-26 and more than 20,000 in 2026-27 so far. Officials estimated around 500 candidates may have been affected by incomplete or late document uploads.

Some rejected candidates have approached the Aizawl bench of the Gauhati High Court, making procedural changes difficult while the matter remains pending.

The MZP said it had raised concerns since June last year. While supporting OTR in principle, it argued the portal was not user-friendly and lacked clear instructions. It alleged some candidates cleared written tests before being rejected during manual verification.

The organisation urged MPSC to acknowledge portal shortcomings and allow affected candidates to rectify deficiencies, saying applicants should not bear the consequences of limitations in the online system.