Itanagar: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) on Monday set August 15 as the deadline for the state government to scrap the existing 80:20 ratio in government recruitment, warning that it will launch a democratic movement, including a 12-hour statewide bandh on August 17, if its demand is not met.

The present recruitment system in the state is in the 80:20 ratio, including 80 per cent posts reserved for state tribal candidates and 20 per cent open where even tribal candidates can compete.

Addressing reporters at the civil secretariat here, the students' organisation demanded that the state government convene an immediate cabinet meeting and take a decision on the issue before Independence Day.

It said it wanted a clear and time-bound resolution rather than further delay.

AAPSU president Meje Taku said the government should take the matter seriously and initiate the necessary process before August 15.

The apex students' organisation of the state warned that failure to meet the deadline would force the union to begin its proposed democratic movement across Arunachal Pradesh from August 17, with the 12-hour state-wide bandh as its first phase.

The union's demand came after its representatives attended a meeting of the High Power Committee (HPC) constituted by the state government to examine the issue of the 80:20 recruitment ratio.

The six-member HPC, headed by Industries and IPR Minister Nyato Dukam, was constituted on July 6 to examine the feasibility and legal and constitutional aspects of abolishing the existing 80:20 ratio in state government recruitment.

It has also been tasked with examining the proposal to make Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) and Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) certificates mandatory for competitive recruitment in the state. The committee has been given two months to submit its report.

The issue has remained a major demand of indigenous student and youth organisations in the state.

Another organisation, the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front, had also earlier demanded that the government refrain from conducting the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Combined Competitive Examination until the recruitment policy was changed.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.