Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 25 July 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has once again appealed to the Hon’ble Union Home Minister, Mr. Amit Shah, seeking urgent intervention to create a statutory framework for the issuance of Local Certificates in the islands.
In a letter dated 22nd July 2025, Mr. Ray reminded the Home Minister about his earlier representation submitted on 7th February 2025, stressing that the lack of legal backing for the Local Certificate system continues to adversely affect the employment prospects of island youth, especially those from remote and economically weaker regions.
The Local Certificate requirement was initially introduced in 1984 via a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs. For many years, it served as a key eligibility criterion for government jobs and higher education in the islands. However, the system lost its legal standing after the Hon’ble Supreme Court, in the 1992 UOI vs Sanjay Pant judgment, struck down the provision for lacking statutory support.
Referring to a successful model, the MP cited the Ladakh Resident Certificate Order, 2021, which provides legal backing to define ‘Resident of Ladakh’ and ensures reservation in public employment accordingly. He strongly urged the Home Minister to implement a similar legal framework for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to ensure fairness and protect the rights of local residents.
Mr. Ray has placed three key demands before the Union Home Minister:
1. A statutory definition of ‘Local’ for the Andaman & Nicobar Islands under Article 16(4) of the Constitution.
2. Legal backing for the issuance of Local Certificates through a proper legal framework.
3. Reservation or preference for local residents in public employment.
He emphasized that fulfilling this long-standing demand would bring long-overdue justice to islanders and align the A&N Islands with the employment protection policies currently in place in Ladakh.
