Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced that the state government will erect a memorial statue in honour of late Gyamar Padang, recognising his contribution towards promoting transparency and accountability in public institutions. Announcing the decision on social media, Khandu said Padang’s efforts had played a major role in exposing loopholes in the recruitment system and helped strengthen transparency, accountability and efficiency in governance. “Today, I met his family members and conveyed my heartfelt respect and condolences. The memorial will stand as a lasting tribute to his life and inspire future generations to uphold honesty, responsibility and public service,” the Chief Minister said. Padang, who was posthumously conferred the State Gold Medal, came into public prominence after exposing alleged irregularities in the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) recruitment process in 2022. He is widely remembered across Arunachal Pradesh for demanding systemic reforms in the recruitment system. Padang passed away in May 2023 after a prolonged illness.
The Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC), which led protests against the APPSC paper leak and cash-for-job scam, had long demanded the construction of a “Statue of Honesty” to honour Padang’s role as a whistleblower.The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) also supported the demand for erecting a statue in his memory. It may be mentioned that Gyamar Padang, himself an examination candidate, lodged a complaint at Itanagar Police Station on August 28, 2022, alleging that the question papers of the Assistant Engineer (Civil) Mains examination conducted by the APPSC on August 26 and 27 had been leaked in advance. Based on his complaint, an FIR was registered on September 10, 2022, and an investigation was launched by the Itanagar Police. The probe was later transferred to the State Police’s Special Investigation Cell (SIC).
The APPSC controversy triggered widespread outrage across Arunachal Pradesh, leading to large-scale protests. Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the investigation from the SIC. So far, more than 50 people have been arrested in connection with alleged malpractice in APPSC examinations conducted since 2014. State Administrative Reforms Secretary Ajay Chagti said that 54 individuals, including 41 state government officials, had been arrested in the APPSC paper leak cases. “Out of the 41 officials involved in the malpractices, 19 employees whose services were yet to be confirmed have been terminated, while disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against 22 regular employees,” Chagti said.
