Arunachal students’ body welcomes new APPSC recruitment norms, seeks uniform implementation

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) on Wednesday, September 2, welcomed the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission’s decision to make a Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC), Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) certificate and proficiency in an indigenous tribal language mandatory for candidates applying for 155 Group-A and Group-B gazetted technical posts.

The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has introduced the eligibility conditions in its advertisement for the Common Recruitment Examination for Group-A and Group-B Gazetted (Technical) Posts-2026 (Part-I).

The recruitment covers vacancies in the agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and veterinary, and textiles and handicraft departments.

The new eligibility provisions follow the state government’s decision to introduce uniform criteria for direct recruitment to government posts.

The state Cabinet approved the criteria on August 13, while the Administrative Reforms and Training Department issued a notification on August 26, making a valid PRC, APST certificate and knowledge of an indigenous tribal language mandatory for direct recruitment to Group-A, Group-B and Group-C posts.

AAPSU president Meje Taku welcomed the APPSC advertisement, describing it as an important step towards addressing concerns of the state’s indigenous population.

“This is what our people have been demanding for years — that recruitment into government service must first protect the sons and daughters of this soil. We welcome this decision by the APPSC and the state government,” Taku said.

He, however, stressed that the eligibility criteria should be applied to all future recruitment examinations and should not remain restricted to the current recruitment exercise.

“This is only Part-I. Our hope, and our expectation, is that this standard becomes the norm for every recruitment examination, in every department, going forward,” he said.

AAPSU general secretary Tator Mato Bui said the inclusion of PRC, APST and indigenous language requirements was in line with the students’ body’s 13-point memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Pema Khandu and its subsequent engagement with the high-powered committee examining recruitment-related issues.

The students’ body said it would continue to monitor the implementation of the new provisions and urged the government and recruiting agencies to apply the criteria uniformly in all future recruitment exercises.

The August 26 government notification directs recruiting agencies, including the APPSC and Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB), to incorporate the new eligibility conditions in recruitment advertisements and relevant service rules.