Nagaland: State govt clarifies status of ANATG-2015 teachers’ regularisation

With the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Group of 2015 (ANATG-2015) batch pressing for immediate regularisation, the State government has outlined the procedural history, court interventions and steps taken so far in processing their cases under the one-time regularisation policy.
According to a press statement issued through DIPR, it said that ANATG-2015 comprises 1,166 persons appointed on contract/ad-hoc basis against various categories of posts under the School Education Department between the late 1990s and 2012. In order to regularise their services, the government said it conducted a suitability test in May 2017 after verification of documents. This was done in pursuance of O.M. No. AR-5/ASSO/98 dated 04.08.2008 and O.M. dated 11.08.2016, which were then in force and stipulated that on completion of three years of continuous service on contract/ad-hoc basis against sanctioned posts, and upon clearing a suitability test and obtaining Cabinet approval, ad-hoc/contract service could be regularised.
The case of all 1,166 ad-hoc/contract teachers who cleared the suitability test was recommended for regularisation and a Cabinet memo was submitted on October 26, 2017.
However, it said that in view of the Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench order dated July 25, 2017 in W.P. (C) No. 145 (K) 2017 (ACAUT vs State of Nagaland), which restrained the State government from regularising any contract appointment in terms of P&AR’s O.M., the Cabinet deferred the matter. Further, by order dated July 28, 2017, the High Court suspended operation of P&AR’s O.M. No. AR-5/ASSO/98 dated 11.08.2016 and O.M. dated 04.08.2008. By order dated August 3, 2018, the Court directed the State respondents not to regularise any person in terms of the cited OMs.
The School Education department subsequently re-submitted a Cabinet memo seeking direction on the issue of 1,166 ad-hoc/contract teachers. On August 29, 2018, the Cabinet decided that until the court matter was fully resolved, the services of ad-hoc teachers could not be regularised, but their fixed salary would be doubled. As decided in the Cabinet meeting held on October 3, 2018, scale pay on the basis of the 6th ROP, 2010 was granted to them.
In September 2021, it said that ANATG submitted a representation. The matter was referred to P&AR, which conveyed that as a one-time measure, irregularly appointed employees who had completed 10 years of continuous service as on April 10, 2006 could be regularised as per Para 44 of the Supreme Court judgment dated April 10, 2006 in State of Karnataka vs Uma Devi. The department was advised to identify such employees.
On non-fulfilment of their demand, ANATG resorted to agitation from September 26, 2022 to October 7, 2022, demanding regularisation. In this backdrop, the government said it constituted a High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by the principal secretary to the chief minister to resolve the issue, and the agitation was called off on October 7, 2022. The Terms of Reference included submission of report by June 2023 and completion of the regularisation process by December 2023.
The HPC submitted its report in June 2023 and on February 9, 2024, the Cabinet decided that a policy for regularisation of contract/ad-hoc employees be adopted.
In pursuance of the decision and subsequent resolution adopted by the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 1, 2024, P&AR introduced a one-time policy for regularisation of contract/ad-hoc employees appointed against sanctioned posts prior to June 6, 2016, vide O.M. dated March 16, 2024.
Following issuance of the O.M., a Screening Committee on Regularisation was constituted on June 6, 2024. In accordance with P&AR stipulations, the School Education department forwarded the list and details of 2,487 ad-hoc/contract employees along with documents to the Screening Committee. Discussions were also held regarding missing documents and other issues.
Meanwhile, ANATG-2015 submitted an ultimatum in December 2025 stating that it would go on agitation if services were not regularized by January 30, 2026. The ultimatum was shared with the Screening Committee. Discussions were also held with the chairman of the Screening Committee for Regularisation of Group A, B, C and D contract and ad-hoc employees on the need to complete the exercise expeditiously.
On February 3, 2026, the School Education department invited ANATG-2015 core members for discussion. The commissioner & secretary School Education & SCERT apprised them of follow-up actions taken and requested them to call off the proposed agitation.
On February 4, 2026, ANATG-2015 submitted a seven-point charter of demands: (i) immediate regularisation of service; (ii) segregation and separate treatment of ANATG-2015 batch members; (iii) reimbursement of arrears from October 3, 2018; (iv) counting of seniority from date of appointment; (v) processing of regularisation together; (vi) posthumous regularisation of deceased members; and (vii) exemption from another suitability test.
On February 5, 2026, ANATG core members along with departmental officials met the Chairman of the Screening Committee, who informed that screening of School Education documents was in progress and explained the need to fulfil various procedures.
On February 6, 2026, the chief secretary (in-charge) invited ANATG-2015 core members, chairman Screening Committee, P&AR, School Education and Home department officials for discussion. ANATG shared their grievances, while officials highlighted the status of the ongoing exercise. The chief secretary explained government procedures and requested them to suspend agitation.
On February 9, 2026, principal director, School Education received a letter from ANATG-2015 core committee stating that they would go on hunger strike if no satisfactory response was received by the evening. In response, the Directorate requested them to put on hold any hunger strike and assured that their issues would be taken up at the earliest.
The statement said that considering School Education is the department with the second largest manpower strength, all concerned stakeholders are working in tandem to resolve the issue, considering the matter in its entirety.