Agartala: The Tripura Pradesh Youth Congress on Wednesday accused the state government of adopting a recruitment policy that will disadvantage local youth, staging a six‑hour sit‑in at Sonamura to press three demands including the restoration of the Permanent Resident of Tripura Certificate (PRTC) requirement for government jobs.
Protest, demands and the government change
Neel Kamal Saha, president of the state Youth Congress, said the party believes the new rules will leave many young Tripura residents “returning home empty handed” when competing for government employment. The demonstration was organised by the Sonamura district unit as part of a wider campaign, the party said, and follows similar protests in several other districts.
- Primary demands: restoration of the PRTC in recruitment; immediate appointment of candidates who have cleared Teacher Eligibility Tests (TET‑1 and TET‑2); and a halt to what the Youth Congress described as recurrent tinkering with recruitment rules.
- Protest scale: organisers said sit‑ins have been held in seven of the party’s nine organisational districts and further agitation will be staged in the state capital after completion of protests in other districts.
The Youth Congress’s complaint centres on a government revision that removed the PRTC requirement from hiring criteria, a move the party links to a Tripura High Court judgment which found that domicile conditions for government employment may only be imposed through Parliamentary legislation and not by a state legislature. In place of the PRTC, candidates are now expected to substantiate eligibility through certificates indicating four to five years of schooling in Tripura, the party said.
Allegations and concerns
Saha claimed the altered policy was tailored to benefit the children of officers who have worked in the state for a number of years, leaving local youth at a disadvantage when competing for the remaining positions. He also questioned whether school‑attendance certificates would effectively prevent misuse, citing past instances — he said — when PRTC documents were allegedly misused in commercial transactions.
“This decision has been taken only to give an upper hand to the children of officers who have been working in various departments in Tripura for four or five years.”
The Youth Congress has further demanded the immediate appointment of candidates who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Tests, arguing that qualified candidates are awaiting government orders for postings. The party framed its campaign as a defence of future generations’ employment prospects and said the agitation would escalate in Agartala after concluding district‑level demonstrations.
Context and procedural questions
The controversy touches on legal and administrative questions about how states can frame local‑preference conditions for government jobs. The High Court ruling that prompted the government change — cited by the Youth Congress — has been interpreted to mean domicile requirements must be legislated at the central level rather than set by state rules. The state government substituted proof of schooling in Tripura for the PRTC, requiring four to five years of attendance as evidence of local connection.
Political parties and youth organisations in the state have differed on the merits of the replacement criterion. Those opposing the move say educational certificates can be forged or manipulated, while supporters of the change contend that schooling records are a practical alternative to a domicile certificate after the court ruling.
What the Youth Congress plans next
The Youth Congress said it has completed demonstrations in seven districts and intends to move the agitation to the state capital once the remaining two districts have held protests. The party has called on the state government to reintroduce the PRTC condition or to adopt stronger safeguards in the new schooling‑based eligibility system, as well as to immediately fill vacancies for TET‑qualified candidates.
| Issue | Youth Congress demand | Government action |
|---|---|---|
| PRTC (Permanent Resident certificate) | Restore mandatory PRTC for recruitment | PRTC withdrawn following High Court ruling; replaced by schooling certificates |
| TET qualified candidates | Immediate appointment of cleared candidates | Awaiting government orders (as per protestors) |
| Recruitment rule stability | Stop frequent changes to rules | State has revised criteria post‑court order |
There was no immediate comment from the state government in Sonamura on Wednesday. Officials at the department responsible for recruitment and field‑level administration did not provide a statement during the protest, the Youth Congress said.
The dispute is likely to remain a campaign issue as parties and youth organisations press for clearer safeguards to ensure local candidates are not disadvantaged under the altered eligibility regime. Observers say the administration may face pressure to explain how the schooling‑based criterion will be authenticated and how vacancies will be allocated while complying with the court’s guidance.
