The indefinite protest launched by the Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) against the state government’s decision to regularize 280 contractual health workers entered its second day on Monday.
In a notification issued on August 18, the Health and Family Welfare Department approved the regularisation of medical officers, dentists, Ayush practitioners, and nurses through a departmental screening committee.
The NMSA contended that the decision bypasses constitutionally mandated recruitment processes and violates the Nagaland Health Service Rules, 2006, which require all class-I gazetted officer posts to be filled through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
However, the department clarified in a statement that the regularization of 98 Covid-19 medical officer appointees was carried out in compliance with an order of the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court dated August 1.
The court had dismissed writ petitions filed against the special recruitment drive, observing that the petitioners had “no locus standi” to question the policy decision. With this ruling, the interim order of November 21, 2024, which had earlier suspended the recruitment, stood vacated, it said. The department added that the regularization was processed through a departmental screening committee as a “one-time dispensation” and formalized through the August 18 notification.
NMSA president Dr Pihoto S Rochill said the association “stands firmly against the notification” and will continue its peaceful agitation until the order is revoked. He demanded that all sanctioned posts be requisitioned to the NPSC or Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) and filled through open advertisement, written examination, and viva voce as per service rules.
“The issue is about safeguarding fairness, merit, and equal opportunity in the State,” he asserted.
Rochill also clarified that the department’s press statement naming the NMSA as the writ petitioner was “very wrong”.
“The association had never filed a case against the government or the department. There are separate petitioners who have filed a case against the state, not the NMSA. The department is trying to mislead the public,” he was quoted as saying by Eastern Mirror.
He further added that the department was misrepresenting the court’s order by claiming it had been directed to regularize the posts. “The court never gave any such direction. The petition was dismissed but the court did not ask them to regularize,” Rochill reasoned.
Combined Technical Associations of Nagaland (CTAN) convener Meshenlo Kath also voiced strong opposition to the regularization process, calling it “unconstitutional and arbitrary”. He said the move undermined meritocracy and violated established recruitment norms.
“CTAN had opposed this process since last year, but the department has gone ahead, which is unfair,” Kath said, adding that their opposition was “not against the individuals whose names were on the list of 280”. “We acknowledge their services during Covid-19, but regularization through a special recruitment drive cannot be justified. Many health workers served in private hospitals during the pandemic but their services are not being recognized,” he explained.
Parents of medical students also joined the protest demonstrations, saying their participation was a stand for justice, merit, and the future of medical education in Nagaland. Protestors held placards and banners while shouting slogans demanding justice, fairness, and transparency in the recruitment process.
Later in the day, the NMSA submitted a representation to the principal director of Health and Family Welfare and issued a public appeal inviting citizens, student bodies, and civil society organizations to join them in solidarity.
The NMSA announced that the protest will continue on September 2 at 10 am outside the Health and Family Welfare department in Kohima.
(With inputs from Eastern Mirror, PTI)