AGARTALA | AUGUST 26, 2026: Escalating widespread dissatisfaction among indigenous and local job aspirants, a large delegation of Gen-Z students and youth activists staged a demonstration outside the Circuit House in Agartala.
The demonstration was organized to protest the Tripura State Cabinet’s recent decision to withdraw the Permanent Resident of Tripura Certificate (PRTC) requirement for state recruitment, demanding its immediate restoration to safeguard employment opportunities for local youth.
Key Demands & Core Grievances
- Reinstatement of Mandatory PRTC: Student representatives demanded that the state government immediately roll back its revised policy and re-implement PRTC as an essential eligibility condition across all Group-C, Group-D, and government service cadres.
- Rejection of 5-Year Schooling Rule: Demonstrators voiced strong opposition to the alternative policy replacing PRTC with a 5-year local education criterion, arguing that it opens backdoors for non-residents and dilutes employment protections for native job seekers.
- Protecting Local Employment Rights: Highlighting the severe unemployment rate among educated youths in Tripura, student speakers emphasized that limited state public sector jobs must strictly be reserved for candidates who are permanent residents of the state.
- Call for Legislative Protections: The agitators urged the state administration and lawmakers to enact strict statutory safeguards ensuring 100% reservation or domicile preference for local candidates in direct recruitment drives.
Demonstration Details
- Location: Outside Agartala Circuit House premises.
- Key Participants: Independent student groups, youth job aspirants, and Gen-Z student delegates from various colleges and universities across Tripura.
Background Context
The protest comes in the backdrop of the State Cabinet’s decision on August 12 to drop the mandatory PRTC requirement following observations by the High Court. Under the new framework, candidates who have studied continuously for five years in schools within Tripura are eligible for state recruitment, triggering widespread agitation from youth bodies and opposition political organizations demanding the protection of local rights.
