Editor,
The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) with is desperately trying to cover up its greater game by making silly excuses and blaming social media. But the fact is that the public and the aspirants still have the sense to understand the game being played by the commission. In this letter, I would like to respond to the latest clarification of the commission point by point.
- The advertisement for APPSCCE-2024 was notified on 10 October, 2024 by the APPSC. The advertisement clearly mentioned that the candidate applying for the post of DSP (APPS) has to conform to the physical standards prescribed in the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
Fact: The advertisement of 10 October (page number 5 of 11 says): “The candidates applying for the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (APPS) have to conform to the physical standard prescribed in Appendix-Il of the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination (APPSCCE) Rules, 2019 and the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
Even in its latest clarification the commission presented only half of its own statement to build its own narrative.
- The principal recruitment rules of the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service Rules, 1989 prescribes obstacle crossings as one of the events of physical efficiency test (PET) which has been followed in all earlier APPSCC examinations. The Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Amendment) Rules, 2022 amended these qualifying conditions of the PET.
Fact: In point one, the commission has taken the reference of the advertisement to validate the misdeeds, yet in the next point it invalidates the same advertisement by taking reference of APPS amendment Act, 2022. How cringe and ironic!
- The result of the PET and physical standard test (PST) conducted on 18 and 19 July, 2025 was declared strictly as per the amended rules in place, ie, the Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
Fact: The result has been declared as per the APPS Amendment Rule, 2022, but the test was conducted in both 2019 and 2022. What if the commission after conducting viva voce declares that GS III has been omitted? Just because their candidate of interest has failed to achieve 20% minimum score in GS III?
- An interpretation with respect to the relaxation in the obstacle crossing in Arunachal Pradesh Police Service (Amendment) Rules, 2022 was rectified after clarification from the Home Department and the same was implemented vide notification dated 19 July, 2025.
Fact: The commission released a tentative exam calendar on 5 August, 2024. Since then, prelims, mains, and PST/PET has been conducted in the span of almost a year and it took 12 months’ time to receive a clarification from Home Department within the same geographical area, just few 100 metres away.
- It is pertinent to mention that no rules have been changed in the middle of the examination and the result has been declared in conformity with the existing rules as notified by the APPS (Amendment) Rules, 2022, which had already been notified in the advertisement. However, the notification dated 9 July, 2025 was rectified after clarification from the Home Department to ensure correct implementation and accurate declaration of the result as per the rules in force.
Fact: The commission cannot omit the word ‘omitted’ from the notification of 19 midnight here. How can the commission be so irresponsible to claim that no rules have been changed in the middle of the examination?
- Since the PET/PST had already been scheduled and any postponement would result in delay of the entire exam cycle, therefore the PET/PST was conducted as per notification dated 9 July, 2025 and the result was declared as per the clarification and existing rules only.
Fact: The commission can release a contradictory notice after the completion of physical test but cannot clarify the same one day before the commencement of test.
- The commission has strived to carry out the PET and PST in the most transparent manner with the entire exam and results prepared digitally and under videography for the first time. All the qualifying exams of PET and PST have been carried out using RFID and digital technology to ensure no human interference in recording of tests data and timings. Since the commission wanted to adopt the digital methods of testing and ensure maximum transparency, the third party required some extra time to transport and set up the equipment in Arunachal Pradesh. This is the sole reason for postponement of PET/PST from 15 and 16 July to 18 and 19 July, 2025, so that quality and transparency of examination is not compromised.
Fact: Nobody had any issue with shift of dates to 18 and 19. Giving a reason for shifting of date is an attempt of strawman logical fallacy, a desperate attempt to ignore the actual question here.
- The spread of unverified and misinformation in social media is not only undermining the functioning of the commission, which is conducting the examination with utmost transparency and fairness to ensure candidates are selected solely on merit, but is also discouraging for all the candidates who have qualified for the viva voce and PET/PST on their own merit. Therefore, the commission appeals that spread of such unverified misinformation should be avoided.
Fact: There is no misinformation on social media but there are genuine question on the transparency and integrity of the recruitment process on social media by the common mass.
The questions on the commission’s misdeed are not discouragement; rather, changing the rules of the exams midway breaks the self-confidence and trust of the aspirants in the entire recruitment process. As an aspirant, now I doubt the transparency and integrity of viva voce.
A sincere civil service aspirant