The Supreme Court of India has upheld the regularisation of 97 medical officers engaged by the Nagaland government during the COVID-19 pandemic, ruling that pending claims by petitioners will not affect appointments already made by the State, said Dr Mereninla Senlem, Principal Director, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland on January 19.
The apex court, while hearing Special Leave Petition (Civil) No 1480 of 2026 on January 16, observed that “the present claim of the petitioners will have no bearing on the appointments already made by the State,” thereby allowing the regularisation process to stand.
The petition arose from a challenge to the December 11, 2025 judgment of the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court in Writ Appeal No. 32 of 2025, which had dismissed appeals contesting the State government’s decision to regularise medical officers recruited under a Special Recruitment Drive during the pandemic.
The Special Leave Petition was filed by three appellants from WA No 32 of 2025, following the High Court’s dismissal of both WA No 25 of 2025 and WA No. 32 of 2025, which had challenged a common judgment dated August 1, 2025, passed by a single judge in WP(C) No 239 of 2024 and WP(C) No. 187 of 2024.
The High Court had permitted the State government to proceed with the regularisation, if not already completed.
According to the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, the services of 97 medical officers who were engaged during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to serve have been regularised following approval granted by the State Cabinet on August 7, 2024, and in accordance with the High Court’s judgment dated December 11, 2025.
The clarification issued by the Supreme Court now removes any legal uncertainty surrounding the appointments, effectively closing the matter.