Nagaland: NMSA backs NSF, raises concern over regularisation of COVID medical officers

The Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) has expressed support for the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and its ultimatum to the state government, demanding revocation of the regularisation of 97 contractually appointed COVID medical officers without recruitment through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
In a press release, NMSA said that while it reaffirms faith in the rule of law and respects the judgment of the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, in WA/25/2025 dated December 11, 2025, it was necessary in the larger public interest to place on record serious policy, institutional and governance-related concerns arising from the direct regularisation of the 97 medical officers.
The association shared NSF’s concern that regularisation outside the purview of NPSC and Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) undermines constitutional principles of transparency, meritocracy and equal opportunity. It stated that such actions erode public trust in recruitment institutions and jeopardise the future of hundreds of qualified Naga medical graduates preparing for open competitive examinations.
NMSA endorsed NSF’s demands, including immediate revocation of all notifications related to regularisation of COVID-time medical appointments, requisitioning of all 280 posts to NPSC and NSSB for open competitive recruitment.
Implementation of special provisions, including award of grace marks to all healthcare workers who rendered service for 100 days or more during the COVID-19 pandemic, in line with directions of the Central government, along with one-time age relaxation exclusively for COVID-19 appointees, as earlier recommended by the NSF. It said that these measures should be applied strictly within the framework of open and competitive examinations, ensuring equal opportunity for all eligible candidates.
NMSA said that while it holds deep respect and sincere appreciation for the invaluable services rendered by all healthcare workers during the extraordinary and unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, such recognition must be balanced with the constitutional and statutory framework governing public employment.
NMSA said healthcare workers had served under extremely difficult conditions and their contribution to the public health response during the crisis was acknowledged, valued and commendable. However, it pointed out that the engagement of COVID Medical Officers was explicitly temporary and purely contractual in nature, limited to a fixed tenure of 12 months, with clear stipulations that no claim for regularisation into regular service would arise from such engagement.
NMSA said that appointments to regular sanctioned posts were to be made only through due process of selection under a special recruitment drive through NPSC or NSSB, strictly in accordance with applicable recruitment rules.
Referring to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notice dated May 3, 2021, NMSA acknowledged that the Centre had recommended preference in regular government appointments, through public service commissions or other recruitment bodies, for health professionals who completed a minimum of 100 days of COVID-related duty.
However, it said the state government’s policy to directly regularise 97 contractual COVID medical officers by bypassing NPSC procedures and limiting the benefit to a select group was discriminatory and only nominally aligned with the Centre’s advisory.
NMSA also pointed out that several other healthcare workers who had rendered more than 100 days of COVID-related duty were excluded from consideration, making the exercise a selective “special regularisation drive” that violated principles of equality, fairness and merit-based public employment.
Citing the Nagaland Health Service Rules, 2006, NMSA reiterated that appointments to Class I gazetted medical posts are envisaged to be made through transparent, competitive and merit-based selection conducted by NPSC to ensure equal opportunity, transparency and fairness in recruitment, institutional accountability and public confidence in governance.
NMSA said that direct regularisation, particularly on a large scale, bypasses established safeguards and raises serious concerns about the long-term integrity of the recruitment system. It asserted that merit-based recruitment remains the backbone of an efficient and credible public service, noting that hundreds of qualified medical graduates and postgraduates across the state prepare for and depend on NPSC examinations as the only legitimate and equal pathway to gazetted service. Appointments to Class I gazetted posts without open competition, it said, create a perception of unequal treatment, undermine the confidence of aspirants and risk long-term damage to the credibility of statutory recruitment processes.
The association maintained that if the government intends to acknowledge and reward services rendered during the COVID-19 pandemic, such recognition must be inclusive, equitable and non-discriminatory. It pointed out that the pandemic response was a collective and multi-sectoral effort involving not only contractual medical officers but also doctors from private hospitals, contractual doctors from other departments and a wide range of healthcare professionals. It further highlighted the vital contributions of paramedical staff, nurses, laboratory technicians, ASHAs, allied health workers, sanitation workers, ambulance personnel and other frontline workers.
NMSA also noted that several other departments, including police and security forces, district administration, power and essential services, transport, municipal bodies and disaster management personnel, played critical roles during the pandemic. Selective recognition of only one category of workers through direct regularisation, it said, while others remain governed by existing service rules, raises concerns of unequal treatment and policy inconsistency.
The association suggested lawful alternatives such as one-time age relaxation, additional weightage of marks in NPSC examinations and preference clauses within a competitive framework. These measures, it said, would recognise pandemic service while preserving merit-based recruitment, equal opportunity and institutional integrity.
Emphasising that the NPSC is a constitutionally mandated body, NMSA cautioned that large-scale deviations from NPSC-based recruitment could weaken institutional authority and set unhealthy precedents. It stressed that transparent recruitment is essential for maintaining professional legitimacy, morale and public trust, and urged the government to strictly adhere to NPSC-based recruitment while strengthening the Nagaland Health Service Rules, 2006.