NNQF warns of statewide protests over teacher regularisation

DIMAPUR, AUG 7 (NPN): Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) has urged the state government to reject the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA)’s demand for regularisation of guest, ad hoc and contract teachers. In a press note, NNQF affirmed that appointments to government colleges must continue to be made only through Nagaland Public Service Commission.
In this regard, the forum said it had submitted a memorandum to the chief secretary and minister for higher education, objecting specifically to Point No. 9 of ANGCTA’s charter of demands, which seeks regularisation of guest, ad hoc and contract teachers. NNQF argued that proposal was contrary to the state’s recruitment policy and ignored the outcome of the 2025 public agitation against the proposed regularisation of 147 assistant professors and librarians.
The forum maintained that recruitment to the posts of assistant professor and librarian in government colleges was governed by the state’s recruitment rules and the UGC Regulations, with appointments required to be made through NPSC combined educational services examination (CESE).
It also contended that regularising contractual appointments would undermine merit-based recruitment, deprive NET-, SET- and Ph.D.-qualified candidates of equal opportunity, and weaken public confidence in the recruitment system.
Further, NNQF alleged that a number of contractual appointments in higher education department were made without public advertisement or open competitive selection, preventing many eligible candidates from applying. It said regularising such appointments would effectively legitimise “backdoor entry” into public service.
Clarifying that it had no objection to the rest of ANGCTA’s charter of demand, the forum demanded that the government reject any proposal to regularise or absorb guest, ad hoc and contract teachers in government colleges and uphold NPSC CESE as sole recruitment mechanism.
It also called for all existing and future vacancies to be filled only through open advertisement and competitive recruitment by NPSC. Besides, the forum also sought a review of contractual appointments made without public advertisement or competitive selection. The forum demanded termination of services of 147 contractual assistant professors in government colleges and immediate creation of corresponding posts for recruitment through the prescribed process.
Questioning why ANGCTA continued to press for regularisation despite the issue having been addressed by government and currently being sub judice, NNQF warned that any attempt to implement the proposal or bypass NPSC recruitment process could trigger statewide protests similar to those held in 2025.