In Nagaland today the dream of a government job has become heavier than ever before. For many young people it is not simply about ambition. It is about survival. In the hills of our land a government exam often represents stability, dignity, and the hope of lifting an entire family out of uncertainty. Behind every student preparing for the Nagaland Public Service Commission Exam, the Staff Selection Commission Exam, banking recruitment through the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, or defence opportunities in the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force there is a deep story of sacrifice.
Many of our youths do not prepare in big cities with expensive coaching institutes. They prepare in small rooms in villages where the internet is weak and electricity disappears without warning. Some read borrowed books. Some study through mobile phones late at night while others are sleeping. Some wake up before sunrise to help their parents in the fields or the market and only after that open their books to chase a dream that sometimes feels very far away.
A government exam in Nagaland is not just a test of knowledge. It is a test of endurance. It tests how many disappointments a young person can carry without breaking. Many students write the exams again and again. They face rejection again and again. Results come and their names are not there. In those silent moments they question themselves. They question their worth. They question whether the struggle is even seen by anyone.
Parents in our villages watch their children study with quiet prayers in their hearts. A mother selling vegetables in the market of Kohima or Dimapur may not understand the subjects her son is studying but she understands the weight of his dream. A father who worked his entire life with rough hands hopes that one day his daughter will hold a government post and walk with dignity.
Yet our youths continue the fight. Some run in the cold mornings of the hills dreaming of wearing the uniform of the Indian Army. Some sit for hours solving questions hoping to clear the NPSC or SSC. Some keep faith that one day they will succeed in banking exams and become officers who can support their families.
And when one student finally succeeds the victory is not individual. The entire village celebrates. The whole community feels hope because in Nagaland one success often carries the dreams of many households.
But there is also a painful truth we must face. Our society sometimes measures a young person’s value only by whether they pass a government exam. This is unfair to the thousands of hardworking youths who struggle every day but do not find their names on the final list. Intelligence cannot be reduced to one exam result. Character cannot be measured by one selection list.
Nagaland does not only need officers in government departments. Nagaland needs teachers who care about children. Nagaland needs entrepreneurs who create opportunities. Nagaland needs writers, farmers, innovators, and leaders who believe in honesty and service.
To every young person in Nagaland who is preparing for these exams today your struggle is not invisible. Your late nights of study are not meaningless. Your tears after failure do not make you weak. They make you human. Strength is not the absence of failure. Strength is the courage to stand again after disappointment and continue walking.
The hills of Nagaland have always raised people who endure storms. Somewhere tonight a young Naga is studying under a dim light with hope in his heart. That quiet determination may one day change not only his life but the future of our land.
Yievinyii Naga
President
Hiekha + NagaNext
Education Services
Thursday, March 19, 2026