Arunachal sees mass rally over 80:20 job quota, protesters demand policy rollback

Thousands of aspirants, students, young people and residents took to the streets in Itanagar on August 8, demanding the immediate scrapping of the 80:20 job reservation ratio in government recruitment in Arunachal Pradesh.

The ‘Final Mass Referendum Rally’, organised by the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF), was held from Akashdeep to Indira Gandhi Park. AFTF chairman Tadak Nalo led the protest, arguing that the existing recruitment framework is unfair to indigenous youth in the predominantly tribal state, particularly amid rising unemployment.

The protesters demanded the immediate withdrawal of the 80:20 recruitment policy and called for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) or Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) status to be made mandatory for candidates appearing for public recruitment examinations.

The AFTF also demanded structural changes in the recruitment process of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB), arguing that eligibility requirements should give greater protection to the state's indigenous population.

The agitation has intensified following the recent Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination, after a non-tribal candidate emerged as the top scorer. The result triggered concerns among sections of the local population over employment opportunities and representation in government jobs.

Addressing the media, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the government had constituted a committee to examine the issue. Nalo, however, rejected the response, saying committees had been formed over the past two years without producing a solution.

The AFTF has also opposed the repeated formation of high-level committees, describing the move as an ‘eyewash’ and demanding concrete action instead.

The rally was held on the anniversary of the Quit India Movement, with organisers projecting it as a peaceful democratic protest. The AFTF has warned of an intensified ‘do or die’ agitation if its demands are not addressed.

Amid growing pressure, the state government has announced that a High-Power Committee headed by Minister Nyato Dukam will hold its first official meeting on August 10 to discuss the reservation issue.