KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 13 (MExN): The Nagaland RMSA 2016 batch teachers have urged the State Government to end what they called discriminatory treatment and ensure equal entitlements at par with other graduate teachers, asserting that despite being recruited through a fair process, they remain on fixed pay nearly a decade later.
In a statement, the Nagaland RMSA Teachers’ Association (2016 batch) said its members were recruited in 2013 following the upgradation of 112 Government Middle Schools to High Schools under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). The recruitment, conducted through open advertisements, written exams and interviews over two years, placed their salaries at Rs 31,315 per month—a figure that has remained unchanged.
The teachers alleged violation of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) guidelines, which state that “The States/UTs should maintain unified teaching cadres and separate RMSA cadre should be avoided since teachers are part of the teaching cadres of the state and UTs.” They claimed the government has accorded differing benefits and service rules to teachers under the same scheme solely based on their year of appointment.
The association said the policy of segregating teachers into batches with varied entitlements “does not only sound like an unintentional error in policymaking but a deliberate attempt to take advantage of a grand scheme, setting a dangerous precedent.” While earlier SSA and RMSA batches were regularised, the 2016 batch is portrayed as dependent on central funding, which the association called “not true,” noting that central support was meant as financial assistance, not actual salary, and that the state was to gradually assume full responsibility.
Highlighting RMSA’s objectives, the teachers said the scheme was introduced to fill gaps left by SSA, universalise secondary education, and improve access for rural, economically weaker and marginalised groups. They criticised the government for recruiting later batches on fixed pay, saying it undermines human dignity and exploits teachers performing identical duties.
The association questioned why some batches were regularised while others were not, and stressed that advancing education remains the state government’s responsibility. They added that requests for fair treatment are met only with reminders of their service conditions, warning that such inequity hampers educational progress and affects teachers’ emotional, social and mental well-being.
Reiterating their demand, the association called for equal entitlements, fair treatment and regularisation of RMSA 2016 batch teachers.
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