Shillong, August 12 : Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday attended ‘Ascent 2026’, a seminar aimed at building an ecosystem for success in UPSC and other state and national competitive examinations, at the Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute (MATI) campus in Mawdiangdiang, Shillong.
During the programme, the Chief Minister also distributed CM-Aspire cheques to candidates who had cleared the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination and inaugurated the Digital Learning Lab of MATI.
Director General, MATI, Cyril Diengdoh and Director, MATI, Swapnil Tembe were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma congratulated MATI for organising the programme and described it as an important initiative towards improving Meghalaya’s performance in UPSC and other competitive examinations.
He said Meghalaya does not lack talent, but stressed that there had been a need to create an ecosystem that brings aspiring candidates together and provides them with proper guidance, training and financial support.
Drawing a comparison with the State Government’s STAR programme in sports, the Chief Minister said the initiative had identified promising athletes from among around 30,000 youths and provided them with training, nutrition and education with the long-term objective of producing athletes capable of competing at national and international levels.
Similarly, he said, the CM-Aspire programme seeks to support UPSC aspirants by creating an ecosystem that can help them prepare for and successfully clear competitive examinations at different levels.
Sangma also stressed the importance of having clear goals, targets and a team capable of translating a vision into practical action.
“We need to have goals and targets with a clear vision of what we want to achieve,” he said.
Speaking on leadership and governance, the Chief Minister said political leadership has the responsibility of creating a vision and policy framework, while bureaucrats and officials bring their capacity and expertise to make those policies actionable.
He also emphasised the importance of continuous monitoring and adaptation in governance to ensure that programmes and policies achieve their intended objectives.
Addressing aspirants, students, teachers and parents, Sangma shared his personal reflections on failure, resilience and the importance of having a clear sense of purpose.
He encouraged young people to identify their true motivations and goals and stressed that passion, dedication and perseverance are essential for achieving long-term success.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the need to develop a wider culture of innovation, sports and entrepreneurship in Meghalaya, along with a strong support system for young people preparing for competitive examinations.
He expressed hope that more youths from Meghalaya would contribute to nation-building and eventually occupy important positions in government and other sectors.
Inviting suggestions and feedback to further improve the CM-Aspire programme, Sangma said no initiative is perfect and there is always scope for improvement.
“To the young aspirants and students, do not give up without trying. Success or failure is not in our hands, but to regret that we have not tried and given our best efforts is definitely in our hands,” he said.
Director, MATI, Swapnil Tembe also addressed the gathering and spoke about the challenges faced by candidates from Meghalaya in UPSC examinations and the strategies required to improve their performance.
During the programme, seven candidates who cleared the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination were awarded cheques of ₹50,000 each under CM-Aspire.
