Manipur: Churachandpur nurses may miss NORCET-11 as ethnic conflict makes Imphal centre ‘inaccessible’

Imphal: Around 150 to 200 registered nurses in Manipur’s Churachandpur district are at risk of missing the upcoming Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET)-11 after Imphal was designated as the only examination centre in the state.

The nurses say the ongoing ethnic conflict has made travel to Imphal unsafe, while the nearest alternative centre in Aizawl, Mizoram, is 384 km away and requires a 12- to 13-hour journey. As a result, most aspirants in Churachandpur have given up hopes of appearing for the examination.

For nurses working in local hospitals, travelling to Aizawl would mean taking three to four days off from work, in addition to bearing travel and accommodation expenses. Aspirants said low local salaries further limit their ability to afford the trip. They estimate that only 15 to 20 nurses from the district may be able to travel to Mizoram for the test.

The aspirants have previously approached local MLAs and the Churachandpur Deputy Commissioner over the examination-centre issue. District authorities subsequently took up the matter, while Kuki-Zo MLAs also wrote to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and AIIMS, New Delhi. The nurses said they have yet to receive a response.

They said Churachandpur has the technical infrastructure required to conduct a computer-based test and have urged the authorities to establish an examination centre in the district.

“It is far too dangerous to appear for an exam in Imphal,” said Nemboiching, a registered nurse who is currently on a career break to prepare for the examination.

Recalling losses suffered during the prolonged conflict, she questioned whether candidates from the Kuki-Zo community could reasonably be expected to travel to Imphal. She said her house had been burnt and members of her family killed, making a journey to the state capital for an examination a serious safety concern.

Another aspirant, Yuki, 27, an outsourced Tele-ICU nurse at Churachandpur District Hospital, said safety concerns, financial constraints, and hospital shift requirements have prevented many candidates from appearing for the examination in successive years.

She also said delays in accessing the examination had affected some aspirants’ eligibility, with the age limit set at 30 years with an extension to 35 years for ST and SC candidates.