Arunachal Notifies New Recruitment Criteria; AAPSU Welcomes Move, Warns Against Dilution
The notification gives effect to the government’s earlier Cabinet decision, while AAPSU calls for strict and uniform implementation across all recruiting agencies.
ITANAGAR- The Arunachal Pradesh government has now formally notified the uniform eligibility criteria for direct recruitment to posts and services under the state government, giving effect to the Cabinet decision taken earlier this month. Welcoming the notification, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has urged recruiting agencies to implement the new provisions strictly and warned against any attempt to dilute or bypass them.
The notification issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Training on August 26, under the authority of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, makes three conditions mandatory for candidates seeking direct recruitment: a valid Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) of Arunachal Pradesh, an Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) Certificate, and working knowledge of an Indigenous Tribal Language of Arunachal Pradesh.
The rules apply not only to state government departments but also to Public Sector Undertakings, Autonomous Bodies and Local/Urban Bodies. The notification specifies that candidates must be Indian citizens and inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh holding a valid PRC, while also being original inhabitants of the state and possessing an APST certificate issued by the competent authority.
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The language requirement is another key component of the notified criteria. Candidates must be able to speak an Indigenous Tribal Language of Arunachal Pradesh and possess working knowledge of the local indigenous tribes, as specified in the notification.
Language test to follow after joining service
The notification also establishes a mechanism for enforcing the language requirement.
Until a formal written Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes Language Proficiency Test is incorporated into the initial competitive examination, a mandatory language test will be conducted after a candidate joins service, within a probation or stipulated period of three years.
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Candidates who fail to clear the test within the stipulated period will have their annual increments and further promotions withheld until they successfully pass the test in a notified Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled language.
APPSC and APSSB directed to implement immediately
The notification directs the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB) to immediately incorporate the mandatory eligibility clauses and the post-joining language test mechanism into recruitment advertisements and service rules.
The provisions have been made applicable with immediate effect to Group A, Group B and Group C posts and services and their equivalents.
AAPSU welcomes notification
Welcoming the government’s formal notification, AAPSU President Meje Taku described it as an important development for the indigenous people of Arunachal Pradesh and credited the union’s sustained campaign for pushing the demand.
AAPSU said the notification translates its longstanding demand into a formal government order, but stressed that the effectiveness of the decision will depend on its implementation in actual recruitment exercises.
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The union has specifically urged APPSC, APSSB and other recruiting authorities to incorporate the new eligibility conditions into all future recruitment advertisements and rules, including recruitment processes already in the pipeline.
AAPSU also warned that it would not accept attempts to circumvent, dilute or selectively apply the notified criteria. Taku said the union would take its own course of action, including intensified agitation, if any recruiting authority failed to comply with the government order.
Notification marks formal implementation of earlier decision
The latest development follows the state Cabinet’s decision of August 13, 2026. The August 26 notification now formally establishes the criteria and directs the concerned recruiting bodies to implement them.
The order has been circulated to APPSC, APSSB, government departments, heads of departments, deputy commissioners, PSUs, autonomous bodies and local/urban bodies. The Department of Information and Public Relations has also been directed for wide publication, while the notification has been sent for publication in the Arunachal Pradesh Official Gazette.
The immediate focus will therefore shift from the Cabinet decision itself to how uniformly the new eligibility conditions are incorporated and enforced in upcoming recruitment processes.
