Thousands of aspirants, students, youth and residents participated in a massive protest rally in Itanagar on August 8, demanding the immediate scrapping of the 80:20 government job recruitment policy in Arunachal Pradesh.
The 'Final Mass Referendum Rally', organised by the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF), was held from Akashdeep to Indira Gandhi Park under the leadership of AFTF chairman Tadak Nalo. Protesters alleged that the existing recruitment framework is unfair to indigenous youth in the predominantly tribal state, particularly at a time of rising unemployment.
The demonstrators demanded the immediate withdrawal of the 80:20 recruitment policy and sought mandatory Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC), or Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) status, for candidates appearing in government recruitment examinations.
The AFTF also called for structural reforms in the recruitment process of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) and the Arunachal Pradesh Staff Selection Board (APSSB). The organisation argued that recruitment eligibility should provide greater protection to the employment opportunities of the state's indigenous population.
The agitation gained momentum after the recently concluded Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination, in which a non-tribal candidate secured the top rank. The outcome sparked concerns among sections of the local population regarding representation and employment opportunities in government services.
Responding to the issue, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the state government had constituted a committee to examine the matter. However, Tadak Nalo rejected the government's response, stating that similar committees had been formed over the past two years without arriving at a solution. The AFTF described the repeated formation of high-level committees as an "eyewash" and urged the government to take concrete action instead.
The rally coincided with the anniversary of the Quit India Movement, with organisers describing it as a peaceful democratic protest. The AFTF warned that it would intensify its "do or die" agitation if its demands were not addressed.
Amid growing pressure, the Arunachal Pradesh government announced that a High-Power Committee headed by Minister Nyato Dukam will hold its first official meeting on August 10 to discuss the reservation issue.
The 80:20 recruitment policy, introduced in 1991, reserves 80 per cent of government jobs for Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) candidates, while the remaining 20 per cent are open to general or non-indigenous candidates. The policy applies to recruitment examinations conducted by agencies including the APPSC and APSSB.
