The Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) has appealed to the Governor of Nagaland, La Ganesan, urging him to halt the regularization of contractual assistant professors in the Department of Higher Education, as notified by the Department on December 18, 2024. The Forum has raised concerns that many of the contractual assistant professors do not possess the required qualifications, such as NET/PhD, and were not recruited through the Common Educational Services Examination (CESE) administered by the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
In its open letter to the Governor, the NNQF argued that any recruitment for regularized posts outside the established process violates the fundamental right to equal opportunity. The Forum further highlighted that it had previously filed a case in court—The Nagaland NET Qualified Forum members Vs the State of Nagaland (Case No.: WP(C) 340/2022 and WP (C) 188-198, 208/2023)—challenging the irregular and contractual appointments within the Higher Education Department.
The Forum also noted that following a discussion in the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly regarding the regularization of 154 contractual assistant professors, it had submitted a representation to Minister of Higher Education Temjen Imna Along on September 23, 2022, requesting that the process be withheld. The NNQF argued that any regularization of these positions would contravene the interim order of the writ petitions and could amount to contempt of court.
The same appeal was made by the NNQF and the CTAN on October 9th 2024 and 19th December, 2024, to the concerned authorities and in the local dailies, it added.
Despite these appeals, the Forum expressed dismay upon receiving a notification from the Department of Higher Education on December 18, 2024, which indicated the absorption of the contractual assistant professors.
In its statement, the NNQF emphasized that it was “unfair” that some candidates are subjected to a rigorous screening process, including written exams, academic evaluations, and interviews with a panel of experts, while others may be regularized without undergoing the same standards. The Forum raised concerns about potential manipulation in future recruitments, leaving room for bending of rules.
The NNQF also expressed concern for aspiring candidates who may become overage while waiting for official advertisements. “This is something that aspirants in the past have experienced and aspirants of today are apprehensive of,” the Forum stated. In light of this, the NNQF has advocated for age condonation or relaxation for the contractual employees, enabling them to participate in direct recruitment through the NPSC and CESE, ensuring equal opportunity and a fair competition for all aspirants.
