Editor,
The Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), entrusted with the constitutional responsibility of ensuring free, fair, and merit-based recruitment, has once again come under public scrutiny.
The recent events surrounding the assistant engineer (AE) civil engineering recruitment have exposed the commission’s inability to conduct examinations in a transparent and competent manner. What was meant to be a gateway for young engineers to serve the state has instead turned into a saga of confusion, injustice, and humiliation for aspirants.
The AE civil engineering mains examination was originally scheduled for 6 and 7 September. However, following the declaration of the recruitment test results, serious allegations of violation of recruitment rules (RR) and arbitrary segregation of candidates surfaced. Many eligible aspirants, despite fulfilling all norms, were unfairly sidelined without any corrigendum, order, or notice.
Left with no other option, the aggrieved candidates approached the judiciary. The court’s judgement directed the commission to reconsider the exam date and ensure that only those students who truly fall within the zone of consideration as per RR are allowed to appear in the mains examination.
This judicial intervention itself is a slap on the commission’s face and a clear indication of its administrative incompetence.
This episode is not just a technical lapse – it is mental and physical harassment for hundreds of aspirants who have been preparing for years.
Candidates had to face uncertainty and anxiety regarding their eligibility; financial and personal sacrifices; and stress of legal battles at a time when their sole focus should have been academic preparation.
Such mismanagement amounts to nothing short of mockery of meritocracy and a betrayal of aspirants’ trust in the state’s premier recruiting institution.
The repeated failures of the APPSC are damaging its credibility beyond repair. When candidates have to knock at the doors of the judiciary to secure justice, it reflects a deep institutional failure. Instead of being a beacon of merit and transparency, the commission now stands as a symbol of arbitrariness, opacity, and inefficiency.
To restore faith in the system, the following urgent reforms are needed:
- Strict adherence to RR: No manipulation, no shortcuts – rules must be followed in letter and spirit.
- Judicial oversight until credibility is restored: Independent monitoring is essential to ensure fair play.
- Clear communication: Aspirants must not be kept in the dark; every decision should be backed by timely notices and corrigenda.
- Time-bound recruitment calendar: Like the UPSC, the APPSC must publish and strictly adhere to an annual exam and result schedule.
The AE civil mains fiasco is not just an exam scheduling error – it is a systemic failure of the APPSC. By forcing candidates into legal battles and mental trauma, the commission has shown itself to be incompetent and insensitive.
If immediate corrective measures are not taken, it will not only destroy the aspirations of today’s youths but also erode the very foundation of public service recruitment in Arunachal Pradesh.
Aged and disturbed aspirants