Arunachal recruitment: AAPSU welcomes PRC, APST and tribal language criteria

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has backed the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission's decision to introduce stricter eligibility requirements for 155 Group-A and Group-B gazetted technical positions.

Under the new provisions, applicants must possess a valid Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC), an Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) certificate and knowledge of an indigenous tribal language.

The APPSC has included these 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 across the agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and veterinary, and textiles and handicraft departments.

The eligibility requirements come after the state government approved uniform criteria for direct recruitment. The state cabinet cleared the criteria on Aug 13, followed by a notification from the Administrative Reforms and Training Department on Aug 26.

The notification made possession of a valid PRC and APST certificate, along with proficiency in an indigenous tribal language, mandatory for direct recruitment to Group-A, Group-B and Group-C posts.

AAPSU president Meje Taku described the APPSC's move as an important step toward addressing concerns of the state's indigenous population.

“This is what our people have been demanding for years is 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,” he said.

Taku said the union wants the eligibility requirements to become a standard feature of recruitment examinations across government departments rather than being 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 PRC, APST certificate and indigenous language requirements are consistent with the union's 13-point memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Pema Khandu. He also referred to the union's subsequent discussions with the high-powered committee examining recruitment-related matters.

The students' organization said it would continue monitoring the implementation of the new provisions and called on the state government and recruitment agencies to ensure their uniform application in future hiring exercises.

The Aug 26 government notification directs recruitment bodies, including the APPSC and Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB), to include the eligibility requirements in recruitment advertisements and applicable service rules.