Editor,
I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned towards the additional five years’ age relaxation for the state government employees of Arunachal Pradesh.
An article was published in The Arunachal Times by respected M Panging Pao (Rtd Group Captain, IAF) in June 2019 that Arunachal Pradesh has the second highest unemployment rate as per the state’s annual planning document of 2011-12. I believe the situation has not improved much since then. Having such a huge number of unemployed youths, which is increasing annually, it is pertinent to note how the state government is providing additional age relaxation of five years to the already employed employees of the state government of Arunachal Pradesh.
This is not just an insult to the already hardworking unemployed candidates but salt on the wounds of unemployed for being unemployed.
Though the recruitment scenario has improved in recent years with the establishment of the APSSB and amending the APPSC, still a lot has to be done.
The state government already provides five years’ age relaxation for our indigenous tribes on top of reservation at 80:20 ratio. There also seems no advantage to the state government as well for providing additional age relaxation on top of age relaxation for APST tribes. Age limit for general candidates is usually 32 years and for APST candidates this limit is capped at 37 years, which everyone would agree is more than compensating for scheduled tribes of our state. Adding the relaxation for APST state government employees, the age bar will be 42 years. Is it not adding salt on the wounds of all the young unemployed population who are frustrated working hard to get even a peon’s job?
Our state government should do away with this additional relaxation for those already employed in state government jobs, or at least cap the age relaxation to 38 years, ie, giving only one additional year benefit.
The aim for any recruitment board should be to employ younger unemployed youths. On the flip side, recruiting younger candidates is way more advantageous because they infuse more energy and innovation compared to already aged 35+ employed people.
Hence, it is my prayer to all the authorities concerned, student unions and unemployed youths to demand that the state government does away with additional age relaxation for already employed state govern-ment employees.
Unemployed youth of Arunachal Pradesh