Itanagar Protesters Demand Changes to Job Quota Rules

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Itanagar on Saturday, August 8, 2026, to demand the removal of the 80:20 job reservation ratio in Arunachal Pradesh government recruitment. The demonstration, organized by the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF), saw tribal youths, parents, and civil society members march from the Akashdeep market area to Indira Gandhi Park to voice their concerns regarding current employment policies.

Demand for Full Reservation

Participants at the event called for 100% job reservation for indigenous Scheduled Tribe candidates in the state. Protesters stated that the current 20% allocation for non-APST candidates negatively impacts the employment security of local youth. The group is pushing for a complete shift in recruitment policy to prioritize indigenous applicants for all government positions.

New Requirements for Exams

In addition to the quota changes, the AFTF has requested that the state government implement stricter documentation rules. The organization urged officials to make Permanent Resident Certificates (PRC) and Scheduled Tribe status mandatory for all competitive exams conducted by the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission and the Staff Selection Board. The group has set a deadline of August 15 for these administrative changes to be put into effect.

Concerns Over Administrative Delays

Chairman of the AFTF, Tadak Nalo, spoke against the government's practice of forming multiple review committees to address these issues. He described these actions as a strategy to delay progress on the matter. Nalo issued a statement noting that further state-wide agitations will occur if the government does not meet the specified deadline to resolve the recruitment grievances.