Editor,

I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned, stakeholders and the public towards the notification dated 7 October, 2025, issued by the APPSC, wherein 15 vacant posts of APCS (entry grade) are to be filled up through lateral entry. The interview is scheduled for 16 and 17 October. Interestingly, there are only 17 eligible candidates for the 15 vacant posts.

Pertinent questions

  1. Why are there only 17 eligible candidates against 15 vacant posts? It doesn’t even fulfill the 1:3 ratio prescribed for the interview as per standard recruitment procedure.
  2. Were requisitions for eligible candidates sought from all the departments?
  3. When was the screening committee for screening the nomination of departmental candidates formed by the government?
  4. As per the APCS Rules 2018, departmental candidates holding an appointment under the Government of Arunachal Pradesh in Pay Matrix Level-5 or above as per the 7th CPC with not less than 10 years of continuous service are eligible to apply for APCS (EG) through lateral entry. Further, he/she should have earned successively three very good reports in his/her ACRs/APARs during the period of eligibility. Considering these criteria, there should have been hundreds of eligible candidates. Are they deprived of fair opportunity due to the opaque system?
  5. As per the APCS Rules 2018, no person will be eligible for nomination for appointment by selection from departmental candidates (lateral entry) if he/she has attained the age of 45 years or more. Are all the listed eligible candidates below 45 years of age?

Way forward

  1. The APPSC needs to cancel its notification dated 7 October, 2025 and return the requisition submitted by the department of personnel for reconsideration.
  2. The department of personnel needs to obtain nomination of eligible departmental candidates afresh from all the departments of GoAP through wide publication in a transparent manner.
  3. At least 45 eligible candidates must be shortlisted against 15 vacant posts in the 1:3 ratio prescribed for the interview as per the standard recruitment procedure.
  4. Constitution of the screening committee by the government should be done transparently and its recommendations should be made public.
  5. If necessary, the total number of vacant posts of APCS (EG) to be filled up through lateral entry should be increased as per the latest vacancies.

Many eligible departmental candidates are out there looking forward to a fair opportunity to take a big leap forward in their careers through lateral entry recruitment. Depriving them of the opportunity would be a travesty of justice and mockery of the recruitment process.

Let merit and fairness prevail in lateral entry recruitment as well.

An eligible candidate

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