Nagaland govt says no job reservation review without fresh census data

The Nagaland government has stated that it cannot proceed with any review of the state’s job reservation policy without accurate and updated population data, reiterating that any change must be grounded in the national census.

Addressing reporters at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday, government spokesperson and Minister K G Kenye said, “We cannot move blindly. We need a basis—and that basis is the census.”

His remarks come in the backdrop of growing demands from tribal bodies seeking a re-evaluation of the current reservation system. On April 27, representatives of five major Naga tribes — Angami, Ao, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi — submitted a letter to the Chief Minister, issuing a 30-day ultimatum to act on their September 2024 request to review the state’s job reservation policy for backward tribes.

However, Minister Kenye noted that the census process in Nagaland remains legally entangled. “Our census has been challenged. Tribal organisations have approached the high court, and now the matter has reached the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that there is disagreement over which census year — 2001 or 2011 — should be considered valid.

“Now, we have already crossed 2021, which should be the reference for the current decade, but even the 2011 census has been challenged,” he pointed out.

In view of these ongoing disputes, Kenye made it clear that the government would not move forward until new census data is available. “We’ve decided to hold off until the new census data is available. Only then can we address these sensitive issues,” he said.

The minister further clarified that conducting a census falls under the jurisdiction of the Central government. “Unless the Centre announces and authorises it, we cannot undertake any census independently. It is a nationwide exercise,” he said.

“We hope our tribal leaders and citizens understand that this is beyond the state’s control. We are waiting, just like everyone else,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)

MT