Backdoor 2.0 in Nagaland

As everyone is aware, Nagaland has witnessed a series of issues and legal proceedings concerning alleged backdoor appointments across various government sectors, including positions for constables, assistant professors, Public Works Department (PWD), the Technical Education Department, and, more recently, health professionals. These issues have heightened public attention, resulting in legal challenges and organized protests. These controversies have also raised serious concerns among young aspirants, students, and the youth, casting uncertainty over their future opportunities and career prospects.
In the digital world, 2.0 signifies an upgraded, smarter, and more advanced version of a system. But here, “2.0” conveys the very opposite idea. The notion of “2.0” in this context doesn’t mean innovation; it denotes the refined, upgraded version of an old disease: “backdoor appointments.” A backdoor appointment is the practice of appointing an individual to a government position through unofficial or informal channels, thereby bypassing the established public service recruitment procedures, such as competitive examinations, transparency, publicly advertised vacancies, and merit-based selection. What was once regarded as malpractice has now evolved into a system, regularized and normalized, where teachers, assistant professors, and even doctors enter public service not through the front gate of merit, but through the backdoor of privilege.
One can easily see from the recent protests led by the Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) that the upgraded culture of backdoor appointments is far from a theoretical concern – it is a tangible, real-world issue. When the state government attempted to regularize 280 contractual health workers without holding open competitive exams, the NMSA raised a serious alarm, calling it a violation of recruitment rules and a threat to meritocracy. This episode demonstrates that backdoor appointments can provoke outrage, even among the most dedicated professionals and students, thereby undermining public trust in government institutions.
If Nagaland is to prevent future controversies, such public vigilance must act as a deterrent: a reminder that shortcuts in recruitment can spark protests, erode confidence, and stall the very development these appointments were meant to serve. In short, backdoor 2.0 may have been “upgraded”, but the backlash shows that merit and public scrutiny cannot be easily bypassed.
Backdoor 2.0 gains momentum, particularly through the use of contractual positions, raising critical questions about the fairness of the system. Why do temporary appointments so frequently pave the way for regularization? Are these contractual roles truly intended to address short-term staffing needs, or do they serve as convenient avenues to bypass competitive recruitment? Meanwhile, countless young aspirants devote years of diligent study, preparation, and personal sacrifice, patiently awaiting opportunities that are rightfully deserved.
Doesn’t it undermine their dedication and struggle when others secure similar positions through informal channels and shortcuts? By facilitating the regularization of contractual employees without transparent procedures, backdoor selections not only diminish integrity but also send a disheartening message to the youth – that perseverance, hard work, and long-term preparation may count for less than connections and strategic access. Such practices erode public trust, discourage talent, and fundamentally weaken the principles of fair recruitment.
The rise of informal and shortcut appointments highlights a growing tension between fairness and privilege in public recruitment. Temporary and contractual positions, originally designed to address immediate staffing needs, have increasingly blurred the lines between fair selection and privilege-based access.
Meanwhile, the dedication, perseverance, and long-term preparation of young aspirants face uncertainty in a system where connections and timing can outweigh competence. This upgraded system of informal appointments has been steadily expanding across various departments, ranging from education to healthcare, leaving one pressing question: which department will be next?
Dr. Avothung Ezung
Post-Doctoral Fellow (ICPR)
Dept. of Philosophy
NEHU, Shillong