Kohima: The Nagaland government has revoked its prior directive regularising the services of 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians.
This reversal followed persistent public demonstrations and the submission of an interim report by a High Powered Committee (HPC) established to examine the matter.
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The decision emerged from a Cabinet meeting held in Kohima on Tuesday, occurring against a backdrop of mounting pressure from the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN), the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF), and the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF).
CTAN and NNQF had maintained six consecutive days of peaceful protests, while the NSF joined the agitation for two days, culminating in the lockdown of the Directorate of Higher Education on the second day of their demonstration.
An official notification, issued by the Chief Secretary on Wednesday with Cabinet approval, formally announced the revocation of the absorption orders dated December 17, 2024, and April 10, 2025.
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Nagaland government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister KG Kenye confirmed the revocation and attributed it to procedural errors within the Department of Higher Education, which he claimed had misled the Cabinet.
“In the first place, it is unfortunate that certain lapses have been committed by the Department of Higher Education, which misled the entire Cabinet and the government into a very awkward situation,” Kenye stated.
He acknowledged the Cabinet’s embarrassment at having to reverse its own decision but emphasized its necessity given the findings of the HPC’s interim report.
Kenye explained that prior to Tuesday’s meeting, the government was constrained from acting beyond placing the initial decision in abeyance due to a lack of concrete evidence.
“Today, the Cabinet received the interim report of this High Power Committee and they could provide us some basis upon which the Government, the Cabinet could take action,” he said.
Following thorough deliberation, the Cabinet concluded that a comprehensive review was warranted, leading to the revocation of the regularisation order.
The final HPC report is anticipated in approximately two and a half weeks, according to Kenye. “After the final report is submitted, the Cabinet will take a final decision,” he stated, adding that any subsequent actions would depend on the committee’s findings and recommendations.
Responding to questions regarding the delay in addressing the issue, Kenye admitted that the matter had not initially reached the Cabinet or higher levels of government.
“It never came up to the Government or the Cabinet’s level earlier,” he said, citing internal oversights within the Department of Higher Education as the cause of the delay.