RAS question
What action did the Meghalaya government take in response to the rat-hole mine explosion in East Jaintia Hills?
Correct answer: (B) Constituted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
The Meghalaya government responded to the East Jaintia Hills rat-hole mine explosion by constituting a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.
Explanation
The Meghalaya government chose a judicial inquiry rather than an executive-only response because the incident was treated as a serious mining tragedy requiring formal fact-finding. After the 5 February 2026 mining incident in the Mynsngat-Thangsko area of East Jaintia Hills, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced that a Judicial Inquiry Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act would be constituted to investigate it. The state formed a high-level Judicial Commission of Inquiry. The NGT's suo motu cognisance also reinforces that the incident raised governance, accountability, and regulatory concerns beyond routine accident management.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Government of Meghalaya, Directorate of Information & Public Relations release mentions rescue, relief and a judicial inquiry, but it does not say the state declared an emergency.
- (C) The action recorded was an inquiry into the specific mining tragedy, not a permanent ban on all mining operations.
- (D) The state would constitute a Judicial Inquiry Commission; it does not record any transfer of the case to the CBI.
Concept
This tests state accountability mechanisms after an industrial or environmental disaster, especially the use of judicial commissions of inquiry. Such questions recur in RAS because they connect governance, regulatory oversight and current affairs.