Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR : The Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF) on Friday served a 30-day ultimatum to the state government, demanding immediate scrapping of the existing 80:20 reservation ratio in the state recruitment system and stricter eligibility criteria for examinations conducted by the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB).
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here, AFTF president Tadak Nalo termed the existing 80:20 ratio policy, introduced in 1990, as “obsolete” and said it no longer reflects the present socio-economic realities of the state.
Under the existing system, 80 per cent of government posts are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates of Arunachal Pradesh, while the remaining 20 per cent remain unreserved.
Nalo informed that the organisation had submitted a representation to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), demanding that Scheduled Tribe certificates and Permanent Residential Certificates (PRCs) of Arunachal Pradesh be made mandatory for candidates appearing in APPSC and APSSB examinations.
The organisation also sought mandatory knowledge of tribal dialects of Arunachal Pradesh during viva voce examinations.
Highlighting similar provisions in other Northeastern states, Nalo stated that states such as Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland have stringent eligibility conditions for recruitment examinations, including domicile certificates, indigenous inhabitant certificates and local language requirements, thereby restricting participation of non-residents.
He argued that Arunachal Pradesh, being a sensitive tribal state with a fragile demographic structure, should adopt similar safeguards to protect the interests of indigenous communities.
According to Nalo, unemployment among indigenous youths has increased significantly, and unrestricted participation of outsiders in recruitment examinations could adversely affect the socio-cultural, economic and political fabric of the state.
He further stated that when the 80:20 ratio policy was introduced in 1990, literacy levels in Arunachal Pradesh were comparatively low and there were limited qualified Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) candidates available for recruitment. However, he said the situation has changed considerably over the years with a growing number of educated indigenous youths now competing for government jobs.
Nalo also informed that the organisation conducted a public awareness and signature campaign on January 28 this year, during which more than 25,000 people reportedly supported the demand for scrapping the 80:20 ratio system.
The organisation urged the state government to address the matter before June 30, 2026.
“The movement seeks to protect employment opportunities for the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh and ensure that recruitment policies give priority to local tribal candidates,” Nalo said, while urging Chief Minister Pema Khandu to address the issue before the APPSC calendar examinations scheduled for September this year.
