Songpi: The upcoming AIIMS Nursing Officer Recruitment Test has left close to two hundred nurses from Churachandpur district in a difficult position. For the NORCET-11 preliminary exam scheduled on September 12, Imphal has been given as the sole centre in Manipur, a route that candidates from the hill district say is not safe to travel at present due to the continuing ethnic crisis.
Aspirants said the only other option visible on their city slips is Aizawl. While it is comparatively safer, the logistics are daunting. The town lies 384 km from Churachandpur and the road journey takes between 12 and 13 hours. For nurses posted in hospitals and private clinics, the trip would mean being away from duty for three to four days, arranging leave at short notice and paying for travel, food and stay out of pocket.
Financial strain is a major factor. Many of the aspirants work as contractual or outsourced staff with modest salaries. They said the cost of travelling to another state for a single day computer based test is beyond their reach. Because of this, most have decided not to appear this year, even after months of preparation.
Local inquiries suggest that out of the nearly 200 registered candidates in the district, only about 15 to 20 may manage to reach Aizawl. The remaining candidates, who have spent their savings and taken career breaks to study, are now staring at another lost attempt. Some of them have already missed previous editions for the same reason.
The matter is not new. Over the past several months, groups of nurses met local legislators and the Deputy Commissioner of Churachandpur and submitted written appeals. The district administration is understood to have forwarded the request, and letters were also sent to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and to AIIMS New Delhi seeking an additional centre. Aspirants claim that there has been no official reply so far.
Candidates argue that the technical requirement for the exam can be met locally. Churachandpur town has functional computer labs and broadband facilities that have previously been used for other all India level online examinations. They have requested that AIIMS either establish a centre in the district or accommodate them in Aizawl with adequate time and support.
One of the aspirants, Nemboiching, who has taken a break from work to focus on the test, said appearing in Imphal is not an option for her. She said her family lost their home in the violence and also lost family members, and returning to the valley for an examination brings serious fear for personal safety.
Another candidate, Yuki, 27, currently working as a Tele-ICU nurse at the district hospital on an outsourced basis, said the same hurdles have blocked candidates for more than two years. She said many are now worried about age bar as well. The eligibility limit for NORCET is 30 years, extendable to 35 for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste candidates. With repeated inability to appear, several nurses are now close to crossing the limit without ever getting a fair chance.
