NONGPOH : The Ri-Bhoi People’s Council (RBPC) on Friday stopped a Staff Nurse recruitment examination being conducted at Morning Star Secondary School in Nongpoh, citing the large number of candidates from outside the district.
The examination was being conducted for the recruitment of Staff Nurses at MCH Hospital in Umsning, Ri-Bhoi district.
The RBPC, led by its president Jayson Lennox Nongrum, said its intervention was aimed at seeking priority for eligible candidates from Ri-Bhoi in recruitment for jobs that local youth are qualified to perform.
According to the organisation, an advertisement issued on September 10, 2026, invited applicants from across India for around 20 Staff Nurse posts.
The RBPC claimed that around 192 candidates from Ri-Bhoi were appearing for the examination, while approximately 231 candidates were from outside the district.
The organisation said its objection was not intended to prevent outsiders from applying for jobs, but to seek priority for eligible local candidates in employment opportunities available within the district.
Before stopping the examination, the RBPC said it had met the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) to discuss the issue. Following the discussions, an order was subsequently issued cancelling the examination scheduled for Friday, according to the organisation.
Speaking to the media, RBPC president Jayson Lennox Nongrum said the organisation had previously raised the issue with the Deputy Commissioner, seeking priority for local youth in jobs within the district where they possess the required qualifications.
He said exceptions should apply to positions for which local candidates do not have the required qualifications or eligibility.
Nongrum also said the organisation did not want to put pressure on government officials, but wanted the concerns of local job seekers to be considered.
He said the organisation had met several young people who had completed their studies but were still unable to secure suitable employment, forcing some to look for work outside Meghalaya.
The RBPC maintained that recruitment policies should give due consideration to qualified local candidates, particularly for posts where eligible youth from the district are available.