Six student organisations in Manipur - AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS - have demanded inclusion of Meetei Mayek script in the UPSC Mains examination, formation of a transliteration committee and a language commission.
The student organisations, in a joint release, said that the 500-mark Civil Service (Mains) Examination conducted by UPSC still does not include Meetei Mayek language and is stuck to the previous rule “Manipuri (in Bengali Script)”, "shattering the dreams of UPSC aspirants of Manipur".
Meetei Mayek has been included in the school education of the state since 2006 and some of the students have even completed their masters in the subject, the student bodies said, adding that aspirants will have a high chance of clearing the exam if the mains paper includes Meetei Mayek.
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It also mentioned the inconvenience faced by the students who have zero knowledge of Bengali script and criticised the education minister on failing to do the necessary regarding the matter.
Meetei Mayek script has been announced as the official script of Manipur after the Manipur Official Language Act was amended in 2021, the student bodies said.
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They also recalled that they have already discussed the matter with the education minister and with the director of Language planning and implementation but the government failed to act positively. They further mentioned that they have been urging the government to form a transliteration committee and translate the necessary reference books into Meetei Mayek.
It also urged the formation of a Language Commission to promote the different languages of the state.
