Concerned Aspirants
Nagaland
Nagaland has taken a commendable step toward promoting transparency and meritocracy by operationalizing the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB), a long-awaited reform in the recruitment process. At a time when unemployment in Nagaland hovers around 27.4%, among the highest in India (PLFS 2023–24, MoSPI), the implementation of a dedicated recruitment body with timely exams brings a glimmer of hope for thousands of educated youth seeking stable employment.
However, there remain certain systemic concerns that deserve urgent attention. The NSSB’s current three-tier exam structure—Preliminary, Skill/Computer Proficiency Test (CPT), and Interview—for Group C posts has raised practical difficulties among aspirants, especially those from remote areas. Even the SSC Combined Graduate Level (CGL) exam, which recruits for prestigious Group B and C posts across India, now follows a two-stage model (Tier I & Tier II) with only qualifying skill tests and no interview, as the Government of India abolished interviews for Group C posts in 2016 to reduce arbitrariness.
In contrast, under NSSB, aspirants not only appear for a written test but are then required to travel to Kohima for CPT and again for interviews, leading to financial and logistical burdens. Moreover, CPT and oral interviews (which carry 12% weightage of total marks) are inherently subjective and vulnerable to manipulation. The rationale of conducting CPT—especially when all candidates already possess the mandatory six-month diploma in basic computing—remains questionable unless there are specialized requirements.
States like Arunachal Pradesh, through the APSSB, conduct a single-stage Combined Secondary Level Exam for Group C posts, followed by skill tests only when necessary (e.g., for stenographers). Interviews are eliminated altogether, acknowledging that these positions do not require such evaluation. Further, APSSB brings all Group C positions—clerks, constables, laboratory attendants—under one transparent board. This is unlike the present system in Nagaland, where certain Group C posts like constables in Excise and Forest Departments, firemen, laboratory staff, and MTS are still recruited departmentally. For instance, the Excise Department is set to conduct its own exam for constables—a practice that undermines uniformity and opens doors to non-transparent recruitment.
To protect the sanctity of public recruitment, no department should be allowed to conduct independent exams for Group C posts. All such posts—except Grade IV, which may remain under departmental discretion—must be brought under NSSB to eliminate irregularities.
While this article does not cast aspersions on any individual or institution, it humbly questions the necessity of oral and CPT stages in the current model and the rationale for keeping certain Group C posts outside the NSSB’s purview. If the system is truly intended to serve the people, it must close every gap that allows for discretion or bias.
Nonetheless, we acknowledge the visionary steps taken by the present Government of Nagaland and remain hopeful that under the dynamic leadership of our Chief Minister, more reforms will follow to cement a legacy of meritocracy and good governance in Nagaland. The people believe in this government and its promise to stand for fairness and transparency—and we are confident it will act accordingly.
