Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Maharaj Leishemba Sanajaoba has urged the Union government to include Meitei Mayek in the question papers of the Manipuri optional subject in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the ongoing Rajya Sabha session, Sanajaoba pointed out that the UPSC currently prints the Manipuri optional question paper only in Bengali script. Although candidates are allowed to write their answers in either Bengali script or Meitei Mayek, the absence of Meitei Mayek in the question paper creates difficulties for many aspirants.

The MP noted that for nearly two decades, educational institutions across Manipur—including schools, colleges and universities—have adopted Meitei Mayek as the primary script, replacing Bengali script.

Consequently, many candidates are no longer proficient in reading Bengali script, placing them at a disadvantage during the examination process.
Sanajaoba appealed to the Union government to address the issue to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for Manipuri language aspirants appearing in UPSC examinations.