Correspondent
KOHIMA, SEP 27 (NPN): With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls scheduled to conclude on November 22, 2026 and the Nagaland Teacher Eligibility Test (N-TET) fixed for November 21, teacher-Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across Nagaland have expressed concern over the difficulty of balancing election duties, classroom responsibilities and preparation for the examination.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, teacher-BLOs from different districts said they remained committed to the SIR exercise but felt that the overlap had left them with limited time to prepare for the N-TET, which they described as important for their professional advancement.
A primary teacher serving as a BLO in Tuensang said the concern was not a complaint but a request for consideration. He said BLOs were engaged in door-to-door verification, form collection, data uploading, review meetings and daily targets. In remote areas, they also faced long walks, poor internet connectivity and inadequate transportation.
Alongside SIR duties, teachers continued with regular academic responsibilities, including classroom teaching, maintaining mid-day meal records, attending departmental training and other school-related assignments, he said.
A BLO from Kiphire who has registered for the N-TET said the examination was important for career progression but the SIR exercise had left little time for preparation.
“The mental stress is immense. We work from morning till late at night, seven days a week,” he said.
While reiterating that teacher-BLOs were not hesitant to perform their election duties, he expressed hope that, if administratively feasible, the N-TET could be conducted after completion of the SIR exercise to allow teachers adequate time to prepare.
A teacher-BLO from Wokha shared similar concerns, saying the simultaneous demands of teaching, SIR fieldwork and N-TET preparation were difficult to manage. He noted that with the examination scheduled a day before the SIR deadline, meaningful preparation had become a challenge.
A BLO from Zunheboto also highlighted practical difficulties, including extensive field verification, documentation, poor internet connectivity and frequent travel to ERO and AERO offices, often without adequate transportation. He said these challenges had increased the workload while affecting normal classroom activities. While acknowledging the importance of both the SIR exercise and N-TET, the teacher-BLOs expressed hope that the concerned department would take a sympathetic view of their situation.
They said that, if administratively feasible, scheduling the N-TET after completion of the SIR exercise would enable them to discharge both their election responsibilities and professional commitments more effectively.