Editor,
I wish to highlight a critical concern regarding the recent APPSC Advertisement No 01/2026 for recruitment of 145 assistant professors. While the commission deserves sincere appreciation for adopting UGC Guidelines-2018 and aligning our state’s recruitment with national academic standards, a fundamental contradiction threatens to undermine this progressive vision.
The adoption of UGC-based criteria demonstrates our state’s commitment to merit, research excellence, and quality higher education. This historic shift recognises the value of doctoral research, publications, and scholarly achievements. However, this forward-looking policy is severely compromised by the upper age limit of 30 years for unreserved category candidates. This creates an impossible paradox: the advertisement demands qualifications that require 30-plus years to earn, while disqualifying candidates at age 30.
Let us consider the academic reality. A student completes their bachelor’s degree at around 22 years, master’s by 24, and a PhD typically requires 4-6 years of rigorous research. Quality publications in peer-reviewed journals demand additional time for research, submission, and revision. By simple calculation, a dedicated scholar pursuing the exact credentials the APPSC now values would be 28-30 years old at minimum, often 31-33 years for those conducting field-intensive research. The current age limit thus asks for experienced academic excellence while accepting only fresh graduates.
Neighbouring states like Assam, Manipur, and Tripura have recognised this reality and set age limits between 38-40 years for similar positions. I respectfully urge that Arunachal Pradesh revise the age limit to at least 32 years for UR category candidates. This modest adjustment would honour genuine academic investment, align policy with educational timelines, and enable our institutions to attract candidates with actual PhD completion and substantial research output, rather than mere enrolment.
We must also acknowledge the historical and continuing contribution of UR category educators in building Arunachal’s educational infrastructure. From our oldest schools to colleges and universities, these dedicated teachers have worked alongside APST faculty members to establish academic standards, train generations of students, and develop our human resources. To exclude them now, not on merit but on age technicality, represents both historical ingratitude and poor policy for our state’s educational future.
Modern educational research consistently shows that diversity in faculty composition significantly enhances learning outcomes. When APST and UR category professors collaborate, students gain exposure to diverse teaching methodologies, broader perspectives on regional and national issues, and preparation for India’s diverse professional landscape. This intellectual diversity enriches classroom discussions, strengthens research collaborations, and creates the cosmopolitan academic environment necessary for our institutions to compete nationally. Our students deserve teachers who represent the highest academic achievements and bring complementary expertise that elevates overall institutional quality.
Furthermore, Arunachal’s educational institutions must compete with colleges across India for accreditation, rankings, and research grants. NAAC assessments and NIRF rankings measure research output and teaching quality without considering restrictive recruitment policies. Artificially limiting our faculty talent pool after adopting rigorous academic criteria places our institutions at a severe competitive disadvantage. We cannot expect national-level performance while implementing sub-regional recruitment constraints that exclude qualified scholars.
The APPSC’s adoption of UGC-2018 guidelines represents a bold vision for academic excellence. But excellence cannot be achieved through contradictory policies that demand credentials while denying time to earn them, or by excluding qualified candidates who could strengthen our institutions. Our students, regardless of category, deserve the best possible education from teachers representing the highest academic achievements and diverse scholarly perspectives. Age limits that arbitrarily exclude such teachers ultimately harm not any particular group but the quality of education itself.
I earnestly appeal to the APPSC, the state government, and all stakeholders to reconsider this age restriction. As Arunachal aspires towards educational excellence and holistic development, let us ensure that our policies are internally consistent, academically sound, and genuinely focused on building institutions that serve our children’s future. A simple revision to 32 years would reconcile the commission’s progressive academic criteria with realistic educational timelines, ensuring that merit truly determines selection.
An aspirant