The Meghalaya government has launched ASCENT 2026, an initiative aimed at helping young people prepare for UPSC, IIT, NEET and other national-level competitive examinations.

The programme, organised by the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI), brought together government officials, educators, experts, parents and civil service aspirants in Shillong on Wednesday. The focus was on building a stronger support system for students and reducing the financial and other barriers they face while preparing for competitive exams.

A key part of the event was the distribution of CM-INSPIRE financial assistance of ₹50,000 each to seven UPSC aspirants who cleared the Civil Services Preliminary examination this year. Under the scheme, candidates who clear the UPSC Main examination are eligible for an additional ₹1 lakh.

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the state needs to build a long-term system to support young people across areas such as competitive examinations, sports, STEM, innovation and entrepreneurship. He said the focus should be on creating an ecosystem where aspirants have access to the right guidance and resources.

Speaking to civil services aspirants, Sangma also asked them to reflect on why they wanted to join the civil services and encouraged them to stay focused on public service.

“My dream is to see a day when the Cabinet Secretaries of the Government of India hail from Meghalaya,” he said.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated MATI’s Digital Learning Lab, set up under the ACTI scheme with support from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The lab will develop digital training content for the national iGOT platform.

MATI also felicitated candidates from its All India Services Pre-Examination Training Centre (AIS PETC) who have secured positions in various government departments and the banking sector.

Cyril V. Diengdoh, IAS, Director General, MATI, said ASCENT 2026 was aimed at developing a clear action plan to help students prepare for competitive examinations. He said MATI had trained nearly 5,000 government officials through more than 240 sessions over the past year and was also developing training courses for the iGOT platform under Mission Karmayogi.

“It is not a lack of talent or a lack of intelligence. We need to understand what the issues are and perhaps more than anything else what I personally feel is that we really need to be ambitious,” Diengdoh said.

Swapnil Tembe, IAS, Director, MATI, said Meghalaya needs to expand the aspirations of its young people beyond state-level opportunities and prepare them for national examinations such as UPSC, JEE and NEET.

He noted that seven candidates from Meghalaya cleared the UPSC Preliminary examination this year, with five supported by the CM-INSPIRE initiative. He said the state produces around 20,000 to 30,000 graduates every year and needs to create stronger pathways for them to compete at the national level.

The strategy discussed at the event included early career guidance, moving away from rote learning towards conceptual understanding, strengthening STEM education and developing local study and coaching networks in Shillong, Tura and Jowai.

One of the successful UPSC Preliminary candidates, Menangtei Kuparlang Thangkhiew, thanked the government for the CM-INSPIRE scholarship. He said the financial support helps reduce the cost of long-term preparation and urged fellow aspirants to remain committed to their duties.

The sessions also covered planning for competitive examinations, skill development, time management, curriculum changes, the use of generative AI as a study aid and mental wellbeing. Speakers included IAS and IPS officers, educators, coaching institutes and other experts.

The discussions stressed the need for a broader support system around students, combining academic preparation with career guidance, financial assistance, technology and emotional support.