ITANAGAR : Arunachal Pradesh minister Nyato Dukam on Monday said the draft proposal to scrap the existing 80:20 recruitment ratio in recruitment is ready and will likely be placed before the state Cabinet on August 13 for final approval.

The present recruitment system in the state is on an 80:20 ratio, with 80 per cent of posts reserved for state tribal candidates and 20 per cent open, where even tribal candidates can compete.

Dukam, who heads the High-Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the government to review the recruitment policy, told reporters here that he had approved the draft after discussions with legal experts, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) and other stakeholders.

“The draft has been approved after today’s meeting with all the stakeholders. It will now be placed before the state Cabinet for discussion and final approval,” he said.

The Skill Development and IPR minister said the proposed recruitment framework also considers making Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) and Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) certificates mandatory for candidates appearing in competitive examinations conducted for government jobs in the state.

The committee has also discussed introducing a mandatory local dialect criterion in the recruitment process, Dukam said.

The development comes amid mounting pressure from student and tribal organisations for scrapping the 80:20 ratio and strengthening safeguards for employment opportunities for indigenous Scheduled Tribe candidates in government recruitment.

The HPC held a meeting on Monday to deliberate on the issue, with AAPSU participating as a special invitee.

After the meeting, AAPSU reiterated its demand for abolition of the existing ratio and set August 15 as the deadline for the state government to act.

The apex students’ body of the state has warned that it would enforce a 12-hour statewide bandh on August 17 if the government fails to address its demand within the stipulated time.