Editor,
How credible can a constitutional body be if its indecision leaves aspirants more anxious than prepared? This question looms large in Arunachal Pradesh following the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission’s (APPSC) latest notification on 18 September, 2025, regarding the Arunachal Engineering Services Mains Examination.
The notification added over 300 candidates to the examination list and simultaneously scheduled the mains for 28 September, leaving scarcely 10 days for preparation. For many young aspiring engineers, this has been less an opportunity and more a source of acute stress. Newly included candidates face the daunting task of preparing themselves for one of the state’s most competitive and career defining examinations in just over a week, while those already shortlisted continue to struggle with repeated postponements that have plagued the recruitment process since 2022.
This is not a minor administrative lapse. Competitive examinations are governed by the principles of natural justice and equal opportunity enshrined in Article 16 of the Constitution. When a recruitment body alters the examination framework or schedule at the last moment, it places candidates at a distinct disadvantage, erodes public confidence, and exposes the institution to potential legal scrutiny.
Across India, recruitment commissions, including the Union Public Service Commission and several state public service commissions, allow aspirants several weeks, often a month or more, between the announcement of results and the commencement of the next stage of the examination. This interval is deliberate, designed to afford candidates adequate time to prepare thoroughly, make necessary logistical arrangements, and assimilate any last minute procedural clarifications. By reducing this window to barely 10 days, the APPSC has not merely inconvenienced candidates; it has undermined the principles of fairness and diligence expected of a constitutional body entrusted with the administration of public examinations.
The credibility problem is aggravated by history. The APPSC had previously postponed the same examination just a day before it was scheduled to be held. Repeating such last-minute decisions casts a serious doubt on the institution’s preparedness and administrative rigour. Aspirants invest years of effort and substantial resources, and unpredictable scheduling imposes tangible psychological and financial burdens.
The consequences are severe. Aspirants report rising stress, disrupted schedules and health issues stemming from prolonged uncertainty. Public confidence in the APPSC, already strained by previous controversies, risks further erosion. Without urgent intervention, the commission faces potential protests, litigation and a lasting blow to its credibility as the state’s premier recruiting body.
The way forward is neither complex nor punitive. The commission must either postpone the examination to provide reasonable preparation time or unequivocally affirm the 28 September date as final. Above all, it must communicate promptly and transparently. Such clarity is essential to restore confidence among aspirants and to protect the commission from litigation that could derail the entire recruitment process.
Recruitment to public services is not a privilege granted by the state but a constitutional guarantee of equal access. The APPSC’s current course erodes that principle. A timely and well reasoned correction would demonstrate that the commission understands its constitutional obligations and the stakes for hundreds of young aspiring engineers whose futures now hang on its administrative discipline.
The youths of Arunachal deserve a recruitment process they can trust, one that is consistent, impartial and free from arbitrary disruptions. At stake are not only the careers of hundreds of aspiring engineers but also the credibility of the APPSC as a constitutional institution.
Examinations are not experiments in scheduling. They shape futures, families and faith in governance. It is time the commission acted with the accountability and foresight its mandate demands.
Nyasum Ete
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi