The Nagaland government has urged the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) and other agitating service associations to withdraw their pen-down strike over the IAS induction issue, warning that the ongoing agitation is crippling public offices and causing inconvenience to citizens.
Speaking to reporters in Kohima on Thursday, Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs KG Kenye, representing the state Cabinet, said the government has been “closely monitoring” the situation and is concerned that several departments have been rendered non-functional. “Important matters that need attention have been left pending,” he said.
Kenye explained that the dispute originated from a vacancy circular issued on March 10, 2025, which he said had been circulated without proper authorization. The circular was later withdrawn on March 25 and replaced on April 24 following a Cabinet decision taken on March 27.
According to him, the Cabinet, in its October 16 meeting, also observed that the 2020 circular restricting IAS induction applications only to officers recruited through the NPSC should have first been placed before the Cabinet for approval, as it involved a policy change. However, no official notification had followed.
To address the matter, the Cabinet reaffirmed its March decision and set up a sub-committee to meet with the agitating associations, explain the government’s stance, and request them to call off the strike.
Clarifying details that caused confusion, Kenye said the name of Dr Zasekuolie Chüsi had been mistakenly included in an earlier list and confirmed that Chüsi was recruited through the NPSC. He said that the practice of recommending one officer under the non-State Civil Service (non-SCS) category has been followed by successive governments and remains unchanged.
“If there are objections to this system, then it requires a policy-level decision, and any such change must go through the proper channel,” he said.
He added that the Cabinet reviewed past government orders issued in 1954 and 1997, along with DoPT guidelines, before forwarding its recommendation to the Centre. While acknowledging the JCC’s demand to review the existing policy, Kenye maintained that the process could not be rolled back at this stage, as the state screening committee had already shortlisted five of eleven applicants and submitted the names to the central government.
According to EM, the JCC has since written to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and DoPT, asking them to review the state government’s recommendation. Kenye said the state government will await the Centre’s observations to see whether any procedural norms or rules under the 1954 and 1997 IAS selection guidelines were violated.
“In such a situation, while waiting for updates, it is important to resolve the issue internally and not allow a third party to intervene,” he said, asserting that the government has followed due process.
He also cited a recent Rajasthan High Court ruling which dismissed a challenge to the selection of non-SCS officers for IAS promotion, noting that the court’s verdict – and its later endorsement by the Supreme Court – sets a precedent for other states.
Kaito Aye appeals JCC to reconsider ongoing pen-down strike
Nagaland Minister and senior legislator G. Kaito Aye has made a personal appeal to the Joint Coordination Committee on IAS Induction (JCC), comprising CANSSEA, FONSESA, NIDA, NSSA, and NF&ASA, to reconsider its ongoing pen-down strike.
In a letter addressed to the Convenor and members of the JCC, Aye expressed concern that the continued strike has “adversely affected the functioning of public offices and the implementation of programs and schemes, especially the externally aided programs which are time-sensitive and designed to bring tangible benefits to the people of the State.”
He urged the committee to reflect on the “far-reaching implications of the ongoing pen-down strike,” noting that public service and development are being directly impacted.
“Issues related to service matters and policy decisions are important and deserve due attention, but they are best resolved through open and constructive dialogue rather than disruption of public offices and public service delivery,” Aye stated.
Appealing to the JCC to call off the agitation, Aye said, “Let us not drift into a situation where public offices and services are overshadowed by the course of agitation.” He urged the committee to “put the pen-down strike on hold and come to sit across the table and resolve the issue through dialogue.”
He concluded his letter by calling for unity and cooperation to ensure that the progress of the State is not hindered.
(With inputs from Eastern Mirror)
