The Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) and the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) on Tuesday issued a joint press release highlighting what they described as “two important information” for the public while also reminding the authorities regarding the advertisement of the 129 newly created Assistant Professor posts under the Higher Education Department.
Referring to the recent single bench court order in cases related to alleged backdoor and contractual appointments in the Higher Education Department [WPC(C)/340/2022 and WPC(C)/189–198/2023], NNQF and CTAN stated that the court had observed that the petitioners did not possess “the locus standi, the right to stand before the court, or the eligibility to challenge the backdoor appointments” as they were not NET qualified when the appointments were made without advertisement.
The issue, they said, was widely discussed in public forums, prompting several inquiries. Clarifying their position, NNQF and CTAN stated that the order “may not only strip away the right of NNQF petitioners or CESE aspirants, but the bulk of the educated youth in Nagaland to challenge any backdoor appointments.” They further claimed that the order “terminates the locus standi of any educated unemployed youth putting their future at stake.”
In this regard, NNQF informed that it has appealed to the “honourable court of two/double bench to review this order,” adding that NNQF and CTAN, while expressing their grievances, “express their hope and faith in the judiciary.”
The organisations also pointed out what they termed as a discrepancy concerning the newly created 129 Assistant Professor posts and the earlier attempted regularisation of 147 contractual Assistant Professor posts, which was later revoked. According to the statement, both the orders for the 129 and the 147 posts were found to have the “same P&AR and financial clearance number,” leading to “confusion, shock and disappointment among the aspirants.”
An RTI was subsequently filed to seek clarification. The RTI reply, NNQF and CTAN said, noted that “the 129 order was not created to accommodate the 147,” but that both shared the same P&AR and financial clearance number following the revocation of the attempted regularisation of the 147 posts.
The statement further noted that the P&AR clearance was done in 2022 (UO No. 1025 dated 12/12/22) and the financial clearance in 2023 (RFC/ESTT. No. 32/25 dated 18/5/23), while the attempted regularisation of the 147 posts was carried out in 2024 and revoked in 2025, followed by the creation of the 129 Assistant Professor posts. “Such discrepancies will only erode the trust of the public and therefore require accountability,” the statement said.
NNQF and CTAN also expressed concern that the “much awaited 129 newly created Assistant Professor posts have not yet been advertised,” while the annual Common Educational Services Examination (CESE) advertisement has also not been issued. The organisations reminded the concerned authorities to release the advertisements for these “much anticipated posts at the earliest.”
The statement was jointly issued by the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) and the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN).
