MP Sanajaoba bats for Meetei Mayek script to write Manipuri Literature papers in UPSC CSE

Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by SPN Editor

Manipur Rajya Sabha MP Maharaja Leishemba Sanajaoba demands to allow the Meetei Mayek script as optional to write Manipuri Literature optional papers in the Civil Service Examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

MP Leishemba takes the special mention session of the Parliament and demands to allow writing both Bengali and the Meetei script in UPSC Civil Service Examinations where Manipuri Literature is an optional paper.

He further said that in UPSC Exams, there are two optional papers – one and two in Manipuri literature with a total mark of 500 (250 each). Only the Bengali script is allowed to write the optional papers on Manipur literature.

As per the state policy, the government of Manipur introduced the Meetei Mayek script for writing the Manipuri language in 2006 in place of the Bengali script in phase wise manner in colleges and universities in Manipur.

MP Sanajaoba added that Colleges and Universities have started producing BA and MA students in the Manipuri language written in Meetei Mayek script. Now the problem is that those students who pass the exams in Meetei Mayek script in Manipur subject are not getting the chance to appear in Civil Service Exams conducted by UPSC with Manipuri Literature as an optional subject. The reason is, they have not studied the Manipuri language in Bengali script in schools and Colleges.

The students are also demanding to allow to write Manipuri Literature as optional papers in the Meetei Mayek Script. Since their demand is legitimate and logical, the State government is facing a severe problem in solving their rightful needs.

To solve the problem of students being deprived of appearing in UPSC Main examinations with Manipuri Paper as optional, MP Sanajaoba also proposed to review the instructions provided in the UPSC main examinations.

Currently, the instruction says” answer must be written in Manipuri (Bengali script). Instead of this, the MP suggests the UPSC mention as, “answer must be written in Manipuri (Bengali or Meetei Mayek Script)”. This will facilitate the candidates who are opting for Manipuri Literature to write in Meetei Mayek as well as Bengali script.