AAPSU hails notification, warns against dilution
Itanagar, Aug 26: The Arunachal Pradesh Government has notified uniform eligibility criteria for direct recruitment to all posts and services under the State Government, including Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), autonomous bodies, and local and urban bodies.
The notification was issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Training on Wednesday, pursuant to the decision taken by the State Cabinet on August 13.
Under the new criteria, candidates seeking direct recruitment must be Indian citizens and inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh holding a valid Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) issued by the competent authority.
Candidates must also be original inhabitants of the State and possess an Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) certificate issued by the competent authority in accordance with the applicable list of Scheduled Tribes notified by the Government of India.
Another mandatory criterion is proficiency in any one of the indigenous tribal languages of Arunachal Pradesh, along with working knowledge of the local indigenous tribes.
The notification also lays down a mechanism for evaluating language proficiency until a formal written Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes Language Proficiency Test is incorporated into the initial competitive examination.
Accordingly, a mandatory language test will be conducted after a candidate joins service, within the stipulated probation period of three years.
Candidates failing to clear the language test within the prescribed period will face withholding of annual increments and further promotions until they successfully pass the test in any notified Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled language.
The key recruitment bodies, Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB), have been directed to incorporate the mandatory eligibility criteria and post-joining language test mechanism in all future recruitment advertisements and recruitment rules.
The provisions will apply with immediate effect to the Recruitment Rules and Service Rules for Group ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ posts and services and their equivalents.
The notification was issued by Chief Secretary Manish Kumar Gupta by order and in the name of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has welcomed the notification and urged all recruiting agencies to implement the provisions strictly and uniformly.
AAPSU said the notification fulfils one of its longstanding demands for mandatory PRC and APST certification in government recruitment. The union said it had pursued the matter through memoranda and representations to the Chief Minister, APPSC and APSSB.
AAPSU president Meje Taku described the notification as an important development for the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh and thanked the State Government for accepting the union’s demand.
However, Taku stressed that effective implementation would be crucial. He urged APPSC, APSSB, government departments, PSUs, autonomous bodies and local and urban bodies to follow the notified criteria in letter and spirit.
The union also called upon APPSC and APSSB to incorporate the new eligibility provisions into all future recruitment advertisements and rules, including recruitment exercises currently in the pipeline, wherever applicable.
AAPSU warned that any attempt to dilute, bypass or selectively apply the notified criteria would not be acceptable. It said the union would take its own course of action, including intensified agitation, if recruiting authorities failed to comply with the order.