The Arunachal Pradesh government has formed a six-member committee to examine the feasibility of abolishing the 80:20 reservation ratio in state government recruitment and making permanent residence certificates (PRC) and APST certificates mandatory in all competitive recruitment processes. Industries Minister Nyato Dukam will chair the committee, which includes the home principal secretary, law secretary, personnel secretary, SJETA secretary, and AR&T joint secretary as members. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) president or his representative will be associated as a special invitee for the committee’s hearings, ensuring direct representation of the indigenous student community in the deliberations.
The committee will examine the constitutional and legal provisions governing reservation and applicability of PRC in government services, as well as the systems prevailing in neighboring states such as Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Manipur. The committee has been tasked with submitting its report to the government within two months. The constitution of the committee is seen as a direct outcome of the AAPSU’s sustained advocacy on the issue.
AAPSU president Meje Taku welcomed the development, stating that it is a moment the union has long awaited on behalf of the students and youths of the state. Taku expressed gratitude to every member of AAPSU and every indigenous Arunachali who has stood behind the demand. He noted that the government has assured that the remaining demands raised in the memorandum, including re-amendment of Article 371 (H), resolution of the Chakma-Hajong issue, completion of the Assam-Arunachal boundary demarcation, central anti-racism legislation, and other social welfare measures are being taken up on priority by the respective departments.
The AAPSU had given the government a seven-day deadline to respond to its 13-point memorandum, which led to the formation of the committee. The union will remain engaged, constructive, and vigilant until the demands are implemented as concrete policies.
