The recruitment process for 15 storekeeper posts in Mizoram’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department has come under question after the Mizoram Public Service Commission (MPSC) detected a technical error in the tabulation of written examination marks. The development has raised uncertainty over the selection results, coming just days after the selected candidates received appointment orders and began their training.
The department said on Friday that it had received a communication from the MPSC on Thursday, informing it about errors in the marks supplied to the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for preparation of the final merit list.
According to the department, the error occurred during the transfer of scanned data from candidates’ Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets into an Excel spreadsheet. Invalid roll numbers were inadvertently included in the process, affecting the tabulation of examination marks.
The department said the recruitment results would now require consideration by the competent authorities, which would decide on the appropriate course of action.
The recruitment process began after the department received government approval on December 1, 2025, to fill 15 vacant storekeeper posts through direct recruitment. An advertisement inviting applications was issued on December 16, 2025.
The department subsequently sought assistance from the MPSC in preparing the question paper and evaluating the answer scripts in accordance with government guidelines.
The written examination was conducted on April 30, 2026. A total of 1,945 candidates appeared for the examination, of whom 1,901 completed the test. Following the evaluation, the MPSC provided a list of 70 candidates eligible for interviews, along with 10 candidates under the ex-servicemen category.
The Departmental Promotion Committee conducted the interviews on October 14, 15 and 16. Marks obtained in the written examination and interview were combined to prepare the final merit list.
The government approved the merit list on October 23, and the results were published on the same day. In the unreserved category, 14 candidates were selected, while 28 others were placed on the waiting list. Under the ex-servicemen category, one candidate was selected and four were placed on the waiting list.
Following the declaration of results, appointment orders for all 15 selected candidates were issued on October 27. Posting orders were subsequently issued on November 10, and the selected candidates began a five-day training programme at the directorate on November 11.
However, the MPSC’s communication regarding the errors in marks tabulation has now cast doubt on the recruitment process and the validity of the published merit list.
The department expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to candidates and apologised to those affected by the development. It said further action would be taken after the competent authorities examine the matter and decide on the next course of action.
The episode has raised questions about the verification of examination data and the procedures followed in preparing recruitment results, particularly as appointment and training formalities had already begun before the error was brought to the department’s notice.
