I would like to express that the recent Advertisement No 01/2026, dated 22 January, 2026, notified by the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) for the recruitment of 145 assistant professors in 15 departments, deserves sincere appreciation as a historic and progressive initiative.
For the first time, the commission has incorporated the UGC Guidelines-2018, Appendix-II, Table-3B, for shortlisting of candidates. This marks a significant shift towards aligning the state’s recruitment process with national standards and acknowledging academic merit, research output, teaching experience, and professional contributions.
The introduction of the Academic Performance Indicator (API) system is a highly welcome reform, as it ensures that the long-term academic efforts of candidates are objectively assessed. However, the API score should not be limited only to shortlisting; rather, it should be carried forward and merged with the interview score to arrive at the final composite score, similar to the university selection process, adhering to UGC guidelines. Therefore, to further strengthen transparency and fairness, it is strongly suggested that a corrigendum may be issued to formally adopt a blended mode of selection, wherein the final merit list is prepared on the basis of a composite score out of 200 marks, with 100 marks for API (academic score) and 100 marks for interview (interview score). Such a system would ensure a balanced evaluation by combining objective academic merit with subjective assessment of teaching aptitude and subject expertise.
Further, to uphold the credibility and integrity of the process, it is suggested that the selection board members should strictly be constituted as per the UGC guidelines, ensuring the presence of subject experts of national repute. In addition, video recording of interviews should be made mandatory to maintain transparency and to serve as a record in case of any grievances or disputes.
Lastly, for complete openness in the recruitment process, the names of shortlisted candidates should be notified along with their API (academic) scores, which should clearly be carried forward and merged with the interview scores for final selection. This will enhance public trust, reduce ambiguity, and ensure that merit remains the central pillar of academic recruitment in the state.
Such reforms, if implemented, will not only make the process more transparent and just, but will also contribute significantly to improving the quality of higher education in Arunachal Pradesh.
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