The Government of Nagaland has put on hold the recruitment process for police constable posts earmarked for the four Non-Naga Tribes—Garos, Kacharis, Mikirs (Karbis), and Kukis—until the completion of an Enumeration Exercise aimed at determining their eligibility as Indigenous Inhabitants of the State.
According to the Home Department, the Constitution (Nagaland) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1970, recognizes these four Non-Naga communities as Scheduled Tribes of Nagaland, provided they are residents of the State. The order acknowledges the presence of these tribes who had been inhabiting Nagaland prior to its creation on December 1, 1963.
Members of these tribes and their direct descendants are entitled to obtain Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates and subsequently Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IIC), which grant access to government employment and other privileges available to Indigenous Inhabitants. However, this entitlement applies only to those who had settled within Nagaland’s boundaries before Statehood.
The department pointed out that since these tribes also reside in other North Eastern states bordering Nagaland, cases of post-Statehood migration cannot be ruled out. It noted that some individuals may have been wrongly issued ST and IIC certificates, making it necessary to identify and verify those who genuinely settled in Nagaland before 1963 along with their direct descendants.
To address this issue, the Government, after detailed consultations and examining the RIIN Commission’s findings, decided to conduct an Enumeration Exercise of the Kuki, Kachari, Garo, and Mikhir tribes who had settled in Nagaland prior to December 1, 1963. This was notified through Home Department Order No. CON/RIIN/50/2020 dated September 20, 2024.
However, a writ petition was subsequently filed in the Gauhati High Court by tribal organizations representing the four Non-Naga Tribes. Following this, the Court issued a stay order on the Enumeration Exercise, rendering the matter sub judice.
The department stated that the proposed exercise is crucial to identify genuine Indigenous Inhabitants among the four Non-Naga Tribes, who are entitled to IICs and associated rights, especially in matters of State Government employment.
As a result of the pending legal case, the Government has decided that the ongoing police constable recruitment, which is open to all Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland, will for now proceed only with the 1,176 posts allotted to the Indigenous Naga Tribes. The 24 posts reserved for the four Non-Naga Tribes will be taken up after the Enumeration-related issues are resolved.
