📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vishma thapa
Education
Over 2,000 Garo students protest Khasi language clause in Meghalaya DSC exams
✍️ indiatodayne.in
🗓 20 Sep 2026, 02:01 PM
👁 8
More than two thousand members of the Garo community gathered in Meghalaya to protest the compulsory inclusion of the Khasi language in the District Selection Committee (DSC) examinations.
Over 2,000 Garo students and supporters assembled in various parts of Meghalaya on Saturday, demanding that the Khasi language requirement be removed from the District Selection Committee (DSC) examinations. The demonstrators, many of whom are prospective candidates for state government jobs, carried placards and chanted slogans highlighting perceived discrimination.
The DSC exam, a gateway to civil service positions in the state, currently mandates a compulsory paper on the Khasi language. Garo community leaders argue that the rule places an undue burden on Garo candidates, who traditionally study their own mother tongue and face limited access to Khasi language instruction.
State officials have acknowledged the protest and said they will review the language policy. A spokesperson from the Meghalaya Public Service Commission indicated that any amendment would require consultation with all ethnic groups and a possible amendment of existing regulations.
The issue reflects broader linguistic tensions in the hill state, where Khasi, Garo and Jaintia are recognized as official languages. Stakeholders emphasize the need to balance cultural preservation with equitable access to employment opportunities.
The DSC exam, a gateway to civil service positions in the state, currently mandates a compulsory paper on the Khasi language. Garo community leaders argue that the rule places an undue burden on Garo candidates, who traditionally study their own mother tongue and face limited access to Khasi language instruction.
State officials have acknowledged the protest and said they will review the language policy. A spokesperson from the Meghalaya Public Service Commission indicated that any amendment would require consultation with all ethnic groups and a possible amendment of existing regulations.
The issue reflects broader linguistic tensions in the hill state, where Khasi, Garo and Jaintia are recognized as official languages. Stakeholders emphasize the need to balance cultural preservation with equitable access to employment opportunities.