Zeliang Students’ Union Nagaland (ZSUN) has opposed the recent demand by five tribal apex bodies seeking the scrapping of the Backward Tribes (BT) reservation policy while Pochury Students’ Union (PSU) has called for strengthening the policy.
In a press note, ZSUN president Roland Zeliang and general secretary Keyinreulu said it was supplementing the joint counter-memorandum submitted by the student bodies of Chakhesang, Pochury and Zeliang tribes on May 23, 2025. While appreciating the discourse on equitable development, ZSUN termed the move to abolish the existing reservation framework as unjustified. The union pointed out that although the BT policy was introduced in 1977 to uplift underrepresented and backward tribes, it had been misapplied for many years, especially in Grade-III and Grade-IV appointments.
ZSUN stated that recruitment in the past bypassed reservation rosters, and effective monitoring was absent until recently, when the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) and departmental boards began proper implementation of the policy.
The union clarified that it did not oppose a review of the policy, but insisted that any such review must be based on data, including departmental representation and socio-economic indicators of BT communities.
Citing RTI data, ZSUN stated that the Zeliang tribe, which comprises 3.80% of the state’s population, holds only 3.10% of government jobs. In 15 departments surveyed, only 18 Zeliangs (1.35%) were employed in Group D posts and 4 (1.26%) as drivers. In NSSB, out of 1226 posts, only 49 Zeliang candidates were selected through BT reservation and 3 through the unreserved category. In NPSC since 2010, out of 3467 posts, 120 were selected under BT quota and 22 through unreserved.
The union asserted that Articles 335 and 16(4) of the Indian Constitution support inclusive appointments for underrepresented communities and maintained that the BT reservation policy was meant as a temporary measure to bridge representation gaps.
ZSUN has stated that the reservation policy for Backward Tribes was never intended to be a permanent privilege, but rather a temporary corrective measure to address historical gaps in representation.
Highlighting political disparities, ZSUN pointed out that Peren district, with a population of 95,219, is represented by only two MLAs– each representing approximately 47,609 people—whereas in some districts, one MLA represents as few as 20,000 people. It further noted that the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) of Rs. 2 crore annually per MLA, which directly influences constituency development, underscores the imbalance in representation and development opportunities.
Hence, it said that the demand to revoke the policy lacked constitutional merit and failed to acknowledge the continuing disparities in representation.
In this regard, ZSUN asserted that the demand to scrap the BT reservation policy should be rejected outright as “unconstitutional, unjustified, and divisive.”
The union instead urged the state government to commission a comprehensive statistical study on the representation and development indicators of BT communities across all departments and sectors.
It further stated that the BT reservation policy must not only be retained but also strengthened and ensure that proper roster registers are properly maintained. It also called for NPSC, NSSB, and departmental recruitments to continue implementing the policy in its true spirit.
ZSUN also proposed the constitution of a Reservation Review Commission to evaluate and reform the policy, while making it clear that such reform should not lead to its abolition, but rather ensure justice and equity for all.
PSU: Reacting to the proposed review and restructuring of Backward Tribe (BT) reservation policy, Pochury Students’ Union (PSU) has called for strengthening the policy rather than weakening it.
In a press release, PSU president Rongley Leyri and general secretary Sasietho maintained that Pochury people have long endured systemic neglect, infrastructural deficits, and underrepresentation in key areas of governance and development.
PSU stated that the very essence of BT reservation policy was to correct such historical disadvantages and ensure equitable opportunity for all recognized tribes.
It pointed out that initial reservation in Nagaland was implemented in 1977, limited to seven Backward Tribes, with 25% quota for non-technical and non-gazetted posts. However, the union said that the quota was increased to 37% — 25% for Eastern Naga Tribes and 12% for other four BTs, including Pochury Tribe, which was allocated 2%.
After recognition of Pochury as a separate tribe in 1990, PSU said it was included in BT category in 1994.
It said that as per P&AR department, the initial implementation of the reservation policy, specifically the 45-Point Roster and 27-Point Roster Table, was structured on the basis of alphabetical rotation. However, PSU said in a subsequent revision of roster system involving the adoption of the 125-Point Roster and 100-Point Roster, Pochury tribe was placed at the end of the list, below all other BT and sub-tribe. PSU said this change led to a strong sense of marginalisation and perceived inequity in the implementation of reservation policy.
PSU said as per the latest available records on government employees, there were a total of 1,676 Pochury employees including 780 Village Guards (VGs). It said the actual number of regular employees stood at only 896, which constitutes merely 0.78% of the total state government employees.
As per 2011 Census, PSU said population of Pochury was 21,948 (1.11%) out of 19,78,502 population of Nagaland.
It said the data clearly underlined the continuing need for reservation as a tool to address the historical and systemic disadvantages faced by Pochury Tribe. PSU said for the Pochury community, reservation was not only a means of employment but also a mechanism to promote geographical and ethnic inclusion.
PSU said the idea of introducing ‘Creamy Layer System’ and Pocket-wise Reservation’ in Nagaland was outrightly absurd and irrelevant.
It said Pochury community continued to suffer from social and educational backwardness.
Stating that societal structure in Nagaland was distinct, PSU said introducing sub-classification within the tribes would only complicate the matter and further create disunity and fragmentation within Naga society.
In light of the above, the union advocated for strengthening the policy rather than weakening it. It said effective implementation of reservation policy would help bridge the gap between the BTs and other communities.