Staff REPORTER
ITANAGAR, Sep 19: The All Arunachal Pradesh Unemployed Nurses Association (AAPUNA) has opposed the demand of the All Arunachal Pradesh Contractual Nursing Officers Association for a 70:30 recruitment formula, with 70 percent of posts reserved for contractual nurses and 30 percent for fresh candidates.
AAPUNA spokesperson Tame Rita said there was no justification for modifying the recruitment process to provide contractual nurses a 70 percent share on a seniority basis. She called for implementation of the 2024 Recruitment Rules and recruitment through the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC).
Rita said the state government had already regularised 462 contractual nurses in 2025 without an examination, using 70 percent of the vacant posts after notification of the 2024 Recruitment Rules. The remaining 30 percent comprises 239 posts, which, she said, are to be filled through an APPSC examination on merit.
“Again, demanding 70 percent of these remaining 239 posts is not justified,” she said.
She said the 2024 Recruitment Rules provide for 100 percent recruitment through a written examination and urged the authorities to follow the notified rules.
Rita also opposed using factors such as age, marriage, pregnancy or family responsibilities as grounds for preferential consideration, stating that many unemployed and qualified nurses face similar circumstances while awaiting recruitment.
AAPUNA sought clarity on any proposal for further regularisation and expressed concern over the delay in conducting the APPSC Nursing Officer examination. It said thousands of unemployed nursing graduates were awaiting an opportunity to compete.
The Association demanded that all remaining vacancies be filled through the APPSC examination, with contractual nurses also allowed to compete under the same process. It called for equal opportunity, transparency and merit-based recruitment and urged the authorities to conduct the examination without further delay.