Arunachal: What are the 13 agendas demanded by APPSC aspirants agreed upon by CM Pema Khandu

Several APPSC aspirants were injured, and posters having Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu images were torn off on February 17 morning after a scuffle broke out between the latter and security forces in the state's Itanagar town. 

The violence broke out as the APPSC aspirants violated Section 144 CrPc which was imposed in the wake of an indefinite bandh called by the aspirants over the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) paper leak scam which came into the public domain in August last year.

Ever since the scam into light, several students union raised their voices against the scam and demanded action against those who were involved in the scam.

Following the pressure from aspirants, APPSC chairman Nipo Nabam resigned, “owning moral responsibility for the omissions and commissions of the officer of the commission” who was responsible for ensuring secrecy and prevention of leakage of question papers. 

When the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) finally took over the investigation of the entire scam from the Special Investigation Cell (SIC), a large section of the aspirants welcomed the move.

It is worth mentioning that the case was transferred to CBI from SIC after aspirants argued that they had lost faith in the state's investigation agency. However, eventually, the Arunachal Pradesh government on February 18 after a 9-hour-long discussion between representatives of Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC), ANSU, Nari Shakti, and activist Sol Dodum, agreed to all the 13-point charter demands.

In their 13-point charter demand, the student organization has sought immediate arrest of Chairman Nipo Nabam, Secretary Jayanta Kumar Ray, Joint Secretary Suraj Gurung, Joint Secretary Nima Tondrang, Deputy Secretary Bate Koyu and members Tsering Naksang, Major General Jarken Gamlin, Ms. Mepung Tadar Bage, and Major General G S Bisht. 

Besides this, they also sought a court-monitored judicial probe to be immediately initiated and also the immediate seizure of the properties or assets both movable and immovable of all the arrested accused till the completion of the investigation.

''Immediate dismissal or termination of accused state government officials involved in paper leakage and malpractices from 2014 till date for a free, fair, and transparent investigation,'' was one of the demands placed by the aspirants in front of the government.

The other demands are as follows: 

--- Impartial registrations of complaints and investigations of all the examinations conducted by the APPSC, and all the incumbent members, officials, and staff of the commission from 2014 to till date. The Senior Officials above the rank of Mr. Taket Jerang, then the Deputy Controller of examination, must be arrested and dismissed from their respective positions/jobs.

--- Any examination conducted by the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) if found to have any kind of malpractices like paper leakage or other corrupt practices with even a single instance must be immediately declared "NULL AND VOID" and the same must be re-conducted.

--- No examination is to be conducted till the completion of the investigation process in its entirety and fulfillment of other demands.

--- The Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) must be prepared with the participation of at least 2(two) aspirants.

--- Justice for Ms. Mudang Yabyang (PwD-deprived candidate) and the stream-lining of the person with disabilities (PwD) section criteria.

--- Whistle Blower act must be brought and implemented within one month providing both protection and rewards for any whistleblower in the state. 10. Until and unless all the aforementioned demands are fulfilled, strictly no examinations are to be conducted by the APPSC. If any examination is to be conducted due to any reason, then the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) must be endorsed for the same.

--- To publish the three members' IAS committee report of the APPSC AE civil paper leakage issue.

--- Immediate recall of three state government officials posted under APPSC. 

--- If the government and the commission adamantly decide to go ahead with any examination process without fulfilling the aforementioned demands, then each aggrieved candidate of any examination to date, affected due to any discrepancies, malpractices, or corrupt practices, on the part of the government officials of the APPSC, any person associated with the examination process or any person involved, must be financially compensated with a sum of Rs 5,00,000 (Five Lakhs). 

--- Further, each candidate should also be compensated with a sum of Rs 5,00,000 (Five Lakhs) for any examination to be conducted in the future, if the respective examination is found to have malpractices and corrupt practices such as paper leakage at the later stages.