ITANAGAR (Arunachal Pradesh, India): The government in Arunachal Pradesh has formally formed four committees to examine different issues related to the state, re-verification of Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and misuse of tribal rights.
Another committee will examine ways to strengthen the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, while the fourth committee will examine the issue of infiltration.
The committee formed to examine ways for re-verification of Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APST) certificates and related matters will be headed by Minister for Education Pasang Dorjee Sona. It will review the existing system of issuance, monitoring and verification of APST certificates, including the guidelines notified in 2022. The committee will recommend a robust methodology for APST verification, suggest amendments to existing guidelines, and propose advanced security features, digital and biometric verification systems, village-level scrutiny mechanisms and district-level verification procedures. It has also been asked to recommend legal and administrative measures against forged or illegally obtained APST certificates and fraudulent claims of tribal status.
Another committee, headed by Law Minister Kento Jini, will examine issues relating to non-APST lineage claims, protection of indigenous rights and related matters. The panel will study the existing system governing acquisition and protection of tribal rights, identify loopholes that allow misuse or indirect acquisition of such rights, and recommend legal and administrative safeguards concerning tribal identity, inheritance, lineage verification, and indigenous land protection and reservation benefits. It will also suggest measures to prevent misuse of tribal protections through manipulated documentation or indirect claims and recommend legal action against tribal rights that have been acquired illegally.
The government has formed one more committee headed by Environment and Forests Minister Wangki Lowang to examine the issue of infiltration and illegal immigrants. The committee will study the prevalence of infiltration and immigration in the state and recommend measures for stronger border control, digital verification systems, and action against forged identity documents and undocumented settlement networks. It will also suggest administrative and legal measures to curb illegal immigration and strengthen existing safeguards within the constitutional and legal framework.
The fourth committee will examine ways to strengthen the ILP system. Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu will head this committee, which will examine the existing system of issuance, monitoring and verification of ILPs, review the 2026 ILP guidelines and recommend restructuring measures to strengthen the framework. It will also propose technology-driven mechanisms for ILP, and monitoring, developing a robust verification process, and recommending suitable categories for issuance of such permits to tourists, visitors and workers.
The government order stated that all four committees had been empowered to seek reports, data and status updates from departments and district administrations. The committees have to submit their recommendations within six months of their first meetings.
The Home Department of the state government issued an order on Thursday formally constituting the four committees. The four committees have been formed as per the discussions during consultative meetings with community-based organizations, civil society groups, student bodies, legal experts and other stakeholders here late last month.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu said in a social media post that the committees had been formed in line with the resolutions adopted at consultative meetings under his chairmanship. “The committees bring together representatives from AITF, AAPSU, the Arunachal ST Bachao Andolan Committee, legal experts, scholars and government officials, ensuring a broad-based and participatory approach to this important issue,” he said.
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