ITANAGAR, Jul 22: In a letter addressed to the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC), the Arunachal Frontier Tribal Front (AFTF) has questioned the abrupt modification of the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) criteria for male candidates appearing in the ongoing APPSCCE 2024 examination. The letter, dated 22nd July 2025, seeks official clarification on Notification Order No. PSC-R(A)/12/2024 (Vol-III), issued on 19th July 2025, which altered the PET rules after the test was already conducted.
AFTF termed the development as “bizarre” and said it has caused widespread confusion and unrest among candidates and stakeholders. The organization expressed serious concern over the removal of the obstacle race task—one of the key eight events in the PET—under what it described as “suspicious and dubious circumstances.” According to AFTF, the PET was held on 15th and 16th July 2025, with candidates participating under the original criteria, which were well-publicized since the initial advertisement of the examination on 10th October 2024.
The body alleged that this last-minute change amounts to altering the rules midway through the examination process, thereby violating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of APPSC. It also argued that such a move is in direct contradiction to Supreme Court guidelines, which categorically state that no changes in examination rules should be made after the process has commenced.
More alarmingly, AFTF Chairman Tadak Nalo  accused APPSC of succumbing to external pressure from the Department of Home, Government of Arunachal Pradesh. The sudden issuance of a new notification modifying the PET criteria just a day after the department’s order dated 18th July 2025 has raised eyebrows. The letter suggested that APPSC, despite being an autonomous constitutional body, compromised its independence by adhering to directives from the executive branch.
The Tribal Front also expressed deep suspicion that the rule change may be aimed at favoring certain candidates, especially since all participants had already completed the test based on the previous guidelines. This, they said, has cast a shadow over the transparency and fairness of the examination and created an atmosphere of doubt, particularly in the aftermath of the state’s infamous APPSC paper leakage scam.
AFTF has urged APPSC to publicly explain the rationale behind the sudden rule modification, clarify the legal grounds for violating established procedures, and release the list of all candidates who qualified and failed in the PET, including those who may have failed only the now-omitted obstacle event. The organization stressed that the state's premier recruiting body cannot afford to lose public trust again and must take immediate steps to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency in its functioning.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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