NMSA distances itself from Covid-era MO regularization issue

Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) has officially distanced itself from recent legal proceedings in the Supreme Court concerning the regularization of Covid-era Medical Officers (MOs). In a statement, the association clarified that neither NMSA nor its members filed any appeal or Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the apex court, labeling contrary media reports as “factually incorrect.”
NMSA noted that the SLP in question was a private action by three individual doctors who were excluded from the state’s list of 97 regularized contractual MOs. The student body emphasized that the reliefs sought in that case do not represent the interests of the broader medical student community or aspirants in Nagaland.
Clarifying the legal landscape, NMSA asserted that the Gauhati High Court did not mandate the regularization of these officers. Instead, the court’s dismissal of a previous writ petition was based on locus standi, leaving the final decision to the state government’s executive discretion. NMSA maintains that the regularization of Class-I Gazetted posts should ideally fall under the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) framework, rather than being treated as a judicial directive.
NMSA also condemned the recent regularization of 20 AYUSH Medical Officers (MOs), labeling the move as arbitrary and a violation of judicial mandates. The association pointed to a specific writ appeal where the court previously ruled against a 2020 Special Recruitment Drive, directing that such posts be filled via the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) within six months—an order NMSA says remains unfulfilled.
Despite this, NMSA alleged that the government improperly relied on a separate court dismissal involving MBBS MOs to justify the January 16, 2026, regularization of AYUSH officers. The student body argues that converting temporary, 12-month Covid-era contracts into permanent appointments contradicts original employment terms.
While acknowledging the sacrifices made by healthcare workers during the pandemic, NMSA maintains that recognition must align with established service rules. The association insists that bypassing constitutionally mandated bodies like the NPSC or the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) undermines the integrity of public recruitment and the rights of merit-based aspirants in the state.
Further, NMSA raised alarms over the state’s recruitment practices, noting that only 61 Medical Officers (MOs) have been hired through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) in the last decade. The association contends that the recent departmental regularization of 97 contractual MOs violates the Nagaland Health Service Rules, 2006, which mandates that 100% of Class-I Gazetted posts be filled via the NPSC.
With the 2023 establishment of the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), the state is poised to produce nearly 160 medical graduates annually. NMSA warns that bypassing transparent, competitive mechanisms will jeopardize the career prospects of these future doctors and undermine the integrity of the healthcare workforce.
While acknowledging the service of Covid-era frontline workers, the NMSA advocates for a balanced approach. Instead of direct regularization, the association proposes granting appropriate “weightage” for pandemic service within the existing NPSC framework. This, they argue, ensures equal opportunity for all aspirants while maintaining the state’s statutory recruitment standards.
NMSA also welcomed the formation of a High-Powered Committee to address the ongoing medical recruitment dispute. Appealing for a resolution that balances “gratitude and governance,” the NMSA urged the state to honor Covid-era appointees without bypassing NPSC regulations or the Nagaland Health Service Rules.
The association also lauded the government’s firm stance on reserving central pool MBBS seats strictly for indigenous Nagas. To protect these constitutional provisions, the NMSA called for rigorous verification and transparent allotment processes to prevent unauthorized claims and safeguard the future of local medical aspirants.