Thousands of people rallied in Itanagar, demanding the scrapping of the 80:20 recruitment ratio and making ST and PR certificates mandatory for APPSC and APSSB examinations. The demand has intensified, with the AFTF setting 15 August as the deadline for government action to scrap the 80:20 recruitment ratio.

While the AFTF has warned of a wider agitation if its demands are not met, the government's high-power committee is set to examine the issue, with its first meeting on 10 August.

The AFTF is also demanding that Scheduled Tribe (ST) and permanent resident (PR) certificates be made mandatory for APPSC and APSSB recruitment examinations.

The AFTF has warned that failure to meet the deadline could lead to a wider agitation across different parts of Arunachal Pradesh, beyond the state capital, even as the government is working to find a way to address the situation.

The issue has wide support in the state, and the government has to find a mechanism to identify the best possible ways to accommodate the demand. With unemployment peaking each year, the demand for prioritising the indigenous community is valid and legitimate.