Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu announced on Friday, 29 May 2026 the formation of four High-Powered Committees to address key tribal protection demands raised by the ST Bachao Andolan, following discussions with indigenous tribal bodies, community-based organisations, student unions, government officials and legal experts.

Context

The decision came after a multi-stakeholder consultation that brought together the Arunachal Indigenous Tribes Forum (AITF), the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU), the ST Bachao Andolan Committee, community-based organisations (CBOs), government officials and legal experts. The four demands addressed centre on tribal identity, demographic integrity and border regulation — issues that have animated civil society in Arunachal Pradesh for decades. Chief Minister Khandu confirmed that an official notification constituting the committees will be issued by Monday.

Each of the four committees will be led by a Cabinet Minister-rank official and will include representatives from AITF, AAPSU, the ST Bachao Andolan Committee, legal experts, research scholars and women representatives, ensuring what the Chief Minister described as a 'balanced, inclusive and action-oriented process.'

Policy Backdrop

The four committees will examine and recommend measures on: (1) re-verification of Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) certificates; (2) the issue of non-APST offspring; (3) strengthening the Inner Line Permit (ILP) framework and review of ILP guidelines; and (4) illegal infiltration. The Inner Line Permit system, rooted in the colonial-era Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873, requires non-residents to obtain permits before entering Arunachal Pradesh and has long served as a demographic safeguard for indigenous communities.

Periodic reviews of the ILP framework have been undertaken by successive state governments since the 2000s as demographic pressures and migration concerns have intensified. The question of APST certificate verification has similarly been a recurring flashpoint, with tribal organisations alleging that fraudulent or improperly issued certificates undermine the constitutional protections available to genuine Scheduled Tribe members.

Stakeholders and Impact

For AITF and AAPSU — the two most prominent civil society voices on indigenous rights in the state — the committee structure represents a formal seat at the table alongside government. Their inclusion as permanent members of each panel signals that the process is designed to be consultative rather than purely administrative. The inclusion of women representatives and research scholars further broadens the composition beyond traditional stakeholder groups.

APST certificate holders stand to be most directly affected by the re-verification exercise, which, if implemented rigorously, could alter access to reservations, land rights and government employment tied to Scheduled Tribe status. The non-APST offspring issue — concerning children born to mixed tribal and non-tribal parentage — is among the most legally complex and socially sensitive of the four mandates.

What's Next

The official notification constituting all four committees is expected by Monday, 1 June 2026. Once notified, the committees are expected to begin consultations and submit recommendations that could shape revisions to APST verification rules, ILP operational guidelines and anti-infiltration enforcement mechanisms. The outcome of this process will be closely watched by tribal communities, legal practitioners and policymakers across the Northeast, given its potential to set a precedent for how other states with ILP regimes handle similar identity and demographic pressures.