In a significant event in Guwahati on Friday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma distributed appointment letters to a fresh batch of candidates selected for government service, while underscoring a major governance achievement. The Chief Minister stated that the state's recruitment mechanism has been transformed into a transparent process, allowing young people to secure government employment purely based on merit.
A Landmark Achievement in Government Hiring
While handing over letters to the 4,369 candidates chosen for Grade IV positions through the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE), CM Sarma revealed a staggering figure. The total number of appointments made under the current state government has now reached 1,50,033. This number surpasses the pledge of providing one lakh jobs made during the 2021 assembly elections.
The Chief Minister made a heartfelt appeal to the new appointees. He urged them to voluntarily withdraw their family members' names from the state's flagship Orunodoi scheme if they are currently beneficiaries. This gesture, he emphasized, would allow another deserving family to gain from the welfare program. The Orunodoi scheme provides monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,250 to women, widows, unmarried women, and differently-abled persons from economically weaker sections.
Overcoming a Legacy of Recruitment Challenges
Addressing the gathering, Sarma recounted the complexities and challenges involved in reforming the recruitment system. He stated that the process initiated through ADRE in 2023 was intricate, and maintaining transparency and public trust was a major hurdle.
He contrasted the current unified system with the past, where each department conducted its own examinations. This often led to multiple tests being held on the same day, causing immense inconvenience to candidates. "With nearly 200–300 examinations being conducted annually, effective monitoring was difficult, leading to allegations of corruption at various levels," Sarma said. This chaotic scenario frequently resulted in court interventions, stalling recruitment and causing acute staff shortages across government departments.
To tackle this systemic issue, the present government constituted separate recruitment boards for specialized fields like doctors and engineers. More importantly, it introduced a unified examination system for appointments across various departments. New legislation was enacted, and two dedicated commissions were formed for recruiting to Grade III and Grade IV posts.
Ensuring Fairness and Building Credibility
The Chief Minister detailed the extreme measures taken to ensure the integrity of the process. "Even internet connectivity had to be suspended during examinations to ensure fairness and transparency," he revealed. Despite multiple challenges, the first-year recruitment process was completed successfully.
The credibility of this new system is reflected in the overwhelming response it received. The ADRE for Grade III and IV posts attracted a whopping 13,79,132 applications. The examination was conducted across the state in a single day, utilizing multiple centers, including private educational institutions, spread across 28 districts. Over 9.12 lakh candidates appeared for the exam held on October 27 last year.
The timeline of the recruitment was methodical: the written exam results were declared on March 7 last year, oral examinations were held from June 17 to July 7, and the final results were announced on October 15.
"The entire process was completed in a fully transparent and error-free manner, with no court cases filed," Sarma asserted with pride. He concluded by stating that recruitment based purely on merit has renewed faith among the youth, encouraging them to focus on their studies. He also highlighted the government's parallel focus on promoting entrepreneurship so that Assam's youth can find opportunities within the state and contribute to its development.
