Imphal, Sept. 4 -- Around 150 to 200 registered nurses in Manipur's Churachandpur district are at risk of missing the upcoming Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test (NORCET)-11 after Imphal was designated as the only examination centre in the state.

The nurses say the ongoing ethnic conflict has made travel to Imphal unsafe, while the nearest alternative centre in Aizawl, Mizoram, is 384 km away and requires a 12- to 13-hour journey. As a result, most aspirants in Churachandpur have given up hopes of appearing for the examination.

For nurses working in local hospitals, travelling to Aizawl would mean taking three to four days off from work, in addition to bearing travel and accommodation expenses. Aspirants said low local ...