Nagaland service associations question govt’s ‘double standard’

State service employees’ associations (CANSSEA, FONSESA, NIDA, NSSA, NF&ASA, NNPSGSEF) Thursday questioned the state government’s “double standard” on meritocracy in IAS induction.
In a press release, the core committee through its media cell said the government repeatedly claimed in public forums and even in the State Assembly that meritocracy was the guiding principle for appointments through NPSC and NSSB. However, it said the same government was wilfully ignoring meritocracy when it comes to the premier IAS induction, the highest post in the country’s civil services.
In light of government’s “glaring contradiction,” the core committee questioned the government as to how could backdoor appointees be accorded equal standing with NPSC recruits for IAS induction given that meritocracy was the foundation of NPSC recruitments.
The committee asked what was the government’s justification for favouring backdoor appointees over those recruited through the NPSC? It also questioned why was the March 10, 2025 vacancy circular withdrawn after the last date of submission deadline, only to pave way for specific favoured individual(s)?
The core committee described as “malicious and shady” the circular that restricted backdoor appointees was withdrawn instead of simply rejecting their applications for failing to meet Criterion no. 4 of March 10 Vacancy Circular.
Further, the committee asked whether criterion No.4 of March 10 Vacancy Circular, which limits eligibility to those recruited through NPSC, contradicted or violated the spirit and principles of meritocracy in the DOPT guidelines, and if it was so then how?
It challenged the government to publish the full list of applicants, selection criteria, and the parameters used by the screening committee to prepare the select list if it was confident of fairness.
The core committee said it was discriminatory that lakhs of aspirants must prove their merit through NPSC, while favoured backdoor appointees can secure even IAS induction through manipulation and favouritism.
The committee asserted that people of Nagaland and the entire state services community deserved an honest and transparent answer from the government.