Shillong , Aug 12 : Meghalaya is aiming higher. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday launched ASCENT 2026: The Climb Towards Success in Competitive Exams at MATI, Mawdiangdiang, calling it the state’s big push to get local youth into the IAS, IIT, NEET and other national arenas.
In a boost to aspirants, he handed over CM-INSPIRE cheques of ₹50,000 each to seven candidates from the state who cleared the UPSC Prelims this year. The scheme offers ₹50,000 for clearing Prelims and ₹1,00,000 for Mains, designed to ease financial pressure and raise Meghalaya’s share in the All-India Services.
“Governance is a 20-to-30-year game,” the Chief Minister told the gathering. Drawing from the success of the STAR sports programme, he said results come when ambition is matched with planning and full state backing. He urged students to ask why they want to serve, and promised an ecosystem across sports, STEM, innovation and exams so that no aspirant feels alone. “My dream is to see Cabinet Secretaries from Meghalaya,” he added.
He also inaugurated MATI’s new Digital Learning Lab, built under the ACTI scheme with DoPT support, to create content for the national iGOT platform. Successful candidates from MATI’s AIS coaching centre were felicitated for securing government and banking jobs.
MATI DG Cyril V. Diengdoh said the institute has trained nearly 5,000 officials in 240 sessions over the past year and is now expanding to schools and grassroots staff. Director Swapnil Tembe noted a record seven Meghalaya candidates cleared UPSC Prelims this year, five backed by CM-INSPIRE, and laid out plans for early career guidance, stronger STEM, and coaching hubs in Shillong, Tura and Jowai.
Aspirant Menangtei Kuparlang Thangkhiew thanked the government for the support, saying the state needs officers who understand its realities. Experts at the summit spoke on analytical learning, smart use of AI, stress management and building resilience, rounding off a day focused on turning ambition into results.
