The Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet has approved a one-year extension of the one-time upper age relaxation for candidates affected by delays in the 2022 Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) recruitment process.The decision was announced by Chief Minister Pema Khandu on June 16 following a Cabinet meeting. The move is expected to benefit candidates who had applied for APPSC recruitment examinations advertised in 2022 but later became ineligible because of delays in conducting the examinations.Announcing the decision, the Chief Minister said the government was committed to ensuring that deserving candidates do not lose opportunities due to circumstances beyond their control. He said the Cabinet had taken the step to protect the interests of aspirants whose eligibility was adversely affected by the prolonged recruitment process.According to the government, the extension will provide eligible candidates with an additional one-year upper age relaxation, enabling them to participate in upcoming recruitment examinations and continue competing for government service positions.
The APPSC recruitment process has witnessed several disruptions in recent years, leading to uncertainty among candidates and concerns over the loss of eligibility despite applicants meeting the prescribed age criteria when the vacancies were originally advertised.Officials said the latest Cabinet decision aims to address those concerns by ensuring fairness and equal opportunity for all affected candidates. The government believes that aspirants should not be penalised for delays that occurred during the recruitment process and were beyond their control. Khandu said the decision reflects the government’s commitment to maintaining a transparent and equitable recruitment system. He emphasised that the extension was intended to safeguard the aspirations of young candidates who had been waiting for recruitment examinations to be conducted.
The announcement has been welcomed by many APPSC aspirants across the state, who had been demanding age-relaxation measures in view of the delays. Several candidates had expressed concerns that they could lose the opportunity to compete for government jobs despite applying within the eligible age limit when the recruitment notifications were first issued. With the Cabinet’s approval, eligible aspirants who were affected by the delay will now have an additional opportunity to participate in the recruitment process. Officials said detailed guidelines regarding the implementation of the age-relaxation measure would be communicated through the appropriate channels.
