Intensifying its opposition to the state government’s decision to regularise 147 contractual Assistant Professors and Librarians, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Monday held a meeting with Higher Education and Tourism minister Temjen Imna Along and simultaneously issued a seven-day ultimatum demanding revocation of the controversial Cabinet decision made on September 11, 2024, which was later notified on December 17.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, NSF vice-president Mteisuiding Heraang said they had made their position clear to the minister, reaffirming their demand for immediate revocation of the cabinet decision.
He hoped that the discussion would lead to a positive outcome but cautioned that the federation would not hesitate to launch agitation if the state government failed to meet its demand within the seven-day deadline set earlier.
He claimed that the federation’s position was motivated by the larger interest of Naga students and youth, warning of street protests should the government fail to act within the given timeframe.
NSF information and publicity secretary Pithungo Shitio stated the meeting was convened by the minister in the presence of officials from the Department of Higher Education and other stakeholders.
He said the federation had submitted an ultimatum to the minister during the meeting, with a copy also sent to the chief secretary.
Shitio stated that they had categorically demanded withdrawal of the decision taken on September 11 last year, warning that failure to do so would compel them to intensify their campaign.
He said the protest would be activated if the cabinet failed to respond favourably.
“We will initiate our own form of protest. Given our extensive federal structure with units across the state and beyond, we are prepared to escalate our agitation. The details will be announced in due course,” he elaborated.
Accusing the state government of breaching its own memorandum, he mentioned the NSF had been vigilantly observing departmental policies. He criticised the regularisation process, describing it as a “hide-and-seek policy” that was implemented without consulting the federation.
Shitio pointed out that the federation’s opposition extended beyond Class-I gazetted appointments to include posts in pay level 3 and above, declaring that the NSF would continue to resist unilateral decisions that impacted student and youth interests.
He claimed that the NSF had been consistently vocal about what it termed an opaque and exclusionary policy on regularisation, adding that the federation’s recent actions marked a critical point in its campaign for transparency and due process in government employment practices.
7-day ultimatum on govt: The NSF issued a seven-day ultimatum to the state government demanding revocation of the September 11, 2024 cabinet decision to regularise contractual assistant professors without a merit-based evaluation process.
In a letter addressed to the Higher Education and Tourism minister, the federation expressed strong opposition to the government’s decision, terming it arbitrary, unjust, and detrimental to the principles of merit and fairness in the academic sector.
It maintained that the decision was taken without adequate consultation and disregarded its previous representations, including a recent communiqué made during a departmental meeting held on April 8, 2025.
According to the federation, a subsequent representation was submitted on April 14, reiterating its disapproval of the absorption process.
The student body maintained that the regularisation of contractual staff without stringent evaluation undermined the efforts of many deserving candidates who committed themselves to years of academic and professional development.
The letter pointed out that the cabinet’s move not only violated the principles of transparency but also jeopardised the future of qualified individuals waiting due recruitment opportunities. The letter lamented that despite repeated appeals, the government had failed to reconsider its decision, leaving the federation with no choice but to issue an ultimatum.
Setting April 28, 2025 as the deadline to address its concerns, NSF warned that failure to act within the stipulated time would result in widespread protest. The federation stated that it would be compelled to take to the streets to ensure that the voices of the students and youth were heard.