Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish a dedicated Regional Recruitment Centre in Guwahati and implement a local recruitment policy, reserving 70 per cent of positions in central government offices, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and public sector banks for domiciled candidates from the Northeast. Saikia submitted his proposal to the Prime Minister on June 10, 2026, highlighting a significant unemployment crisis in the region.
The proposal seeks to address the disparity in employment opportunities for local youth in central government establishments operating within the Northeastern states. It suggests allocating ₹500 crore for the centre’s establishment and operationalisation within six months, aiming to streamline recruitment processes and ensure greater local representation in the workforce.
What was announced
Debabrata Saikia, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, formally communicated his appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a letter dated June 10, 2026. In his communication, Saikia proposed the creation of a Regional Recruitment Centre in Guwahati, which would be responsible for overseeing all recruitment activities for Central Government offices, PSUs, and public sector banks located across the eight Northeastern states.
The Congress leader additionally advocated for a specific local recruitment policy. Under this policy, 70 per cent of all positions up to the Deputy Manager and Grade III levels would be reserved exclusively for candidates domiciled in the Northeastern region. He suggested that the remaining 30 per cent of these positions could remain open for applicants from other parts of the country. Furthermore, for lower-tier administrative and support roles, Saikia recommended a fully localised hiring model to maximise employment for residents of the Northeast. Saikia urged the Centre to sanction ₹500 crore for the establishment and operationalisation of the proposed recruitment centre within a timeframe of six months.
Why it matters
Saikia’s proposal underscores a critical need to address the persistent issue of unemployment among the youth in the Northeast, particularly in Assam. Citing data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report 2025, he pointed out that Assam’s overall unemployment rate stood at 3.7 per cent, which is higher than the national average of 3.1 per cent. The urban unemployment rate in Assam was reported at 6.4 per cent, compared to the national figure of 4.8 per cent.
The situation is particularly acute among the youth, with unemployment in the 15-29 age group in Assam recorded at 12.6 per cent. Urban youth unemployment escalated to 20.6 per cent, and urban female youth unemployment reached a concerning 30.8 per cent, according to the figures cited in Saikia’s letter. The Congress leader argued that the current recruitment processes for major central organisations like the Railways, Border Security Force, Staff Selection Commission, public sector banks, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), and Oil India disproportionately disadvantage aspirants from the Northeast. He noted that examinations and selection centres are frequently located in distant metropolitan cities, imposing significant travel and accommodation burdens on candidates from the region. The proposed Regional Recruitment Centre in Guwahati, with its strategic location and administrative infrastructure, aims to mitigate these challenges and improve access to opportunities for local youth.
Background
The demand for domicile-based reservation in government jobs reflects a long-standing aspiration in several Indian states to ensure local employment and address regional economic disparities. While Article 16(1) of the Indian Constitution guarantees equality of opportunity in public employment and Article 16(2) prohibits discrimination based on residence, Article 16(3) provides an exception. This clause empowers Parliament to enact laws prescribing residence requirements for specific public employment within a state or Union Territory.
Historically, the Public Employment (Requirement as to Residence) Act, 1957, was enacted by Parliament, which largely abolished existing residence requirements across states, though it granted specific leeway to a few states like Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, and Himachal Pradesh. More recently, several states, including Haryana, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, have either proposed or implemented domicile-based reservation policies, some extending to private sector employment. These state-level initiatives have often faced constitutional scrutiny, with the Supreme Court in some instances expressing reservations against “Sons of Soil” policies for state employment, while acknowledging that residence-based reservations can be constitutionally valid under reasonable circumstances.
The current central government reservation framework includes 15 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 7.5 per cent for Scheduled Tribes (STs), 27 per cent for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), bringing the total to 59.5 per cent. Saikia’s proposal for a 70 per cent reservation for domiciled candidates in central government establishments in the Northeast would introduce a new dimension to this existing framework, specifically targeting regional employment. Saikia has previously been vocal on issues concerning Assam, including writing to the Prime Minister regarding unfulfilled promises and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Key details
The core of Debabrata Saikia’s proposal rests on two primary components: the establishment of a Regional Recruitment Centre (RRC) and the implementation of a local recruitment policy. The RRC is proposed for Guwahati, serving as a central hub for all recruitment processes related to central government offices, PSUs, and public sector banks across the entire Northeastern region.
The local recruitment policy specifically seeks to reserve 70 per cent of positions up to the Deputy Manager and Grade III levels for candidates who are domiciled in any of the eight Northeastern states. For lower administrative and support roles, the proposal advocates for a complete localisation of recruitment. Saikia has called for a budgetary allocation of ₹500 crore for the establishment and operationalisation of the RRC, with a suggested completion timeline of six months.
What’s next
The proposal, submitted as a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now awaits a response from the Central Government. The next steps would involve an official acknowledgment of the letter and a potential review by relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). Any consideration of the proposed Regional Recruitment Centre and local recruitment policy would likely involve extensive inter-ministerial discussions and a thorough examination of its constitutional implications and feasibility.