April 17, 2025 —
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has strongly condemned the decision of the Nagaland State Cabinet and the Department of Higher Education to regularise 147 contractual assistant professors on December 17, 2024. In a press conference held today, the federation called the move a direct attack on meritocracy, fairness, and justice.

Repeated Opposition Ignored

NSF President stated that the federation has submitted several representations and issued multiple statements opposing the absorption of contractual assistant professors. Despite these efforts, the government has continued to ignore both the concerns of the federation and the Naga public.

VP Highlights Broken Promises

NSF Vice President recalled that in October 2024, the federation had a meeting with the Minister-in-Charge, during which they clearly expressed their disagreement with the regularisation move. The Minister had assured them that the matter would be kept in abeyance and further consultations would be held with all stakeholders. However, the department went ahead with the decision, which the federation said has hurt the sentiments of many aspiring candidates.

Lack of Transparency

Other NSF executives also raised concerns over the lack of transparency. They revealed that even after the State Cabinet made its decision, NSF met with the Minister on two separate occasions to reassert their opposition. Nevertheless, the government finalized the decision in December without informing any stakeholders. The federation termed this as a "hide-and-seek" policy by the state government.

Delayed Communication and Failed Consultation

According to the NSF, the decision to regularise the 147 contractual professors only came to their knowledge in January 2025. On April 8, a meeting was held between the department and NSF, chaired by the Ex-Officio Director. In that meeting, the federation demanded the rollback of the decision. However, the discussions were unsuccessful, as the department reportedly gave excuses instead of addressing their concerns.

Future Course of Action

The NSF has stated that it will continue to oppose the regularisation and push for its rollback. They also announced that they will soon initiate their own course of action, which will be made known to the public in due time.