By Moa Jamir
‘It was not an emotional decision but an empathetic, practical one,’ Nagaland Higher Education Minister Temjen Imna Along was quoted as saying by a news outlet, justifying the regularisation/absorption of 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians in Nagaland.
But empathetic by whom and for whom, exactly?
If the decision were truly empathetic and practical, why has it been forced into abeyance following an unprecedented public backlash? Why are thousands of qualified aspirants, student unions, and concerned citizens, shedding cloak of anonymity, are taking to the streets with the unequivocal refrain of “Right to Equal Opportunity”?
The outcry is not emotional—it is rational and principled.
The government's apparent underhanded tactics—veiled directives, silent coercion, and quiet complicity—make the situation all the more alarming, suggesting institutional sycophancy, pliancy, and coercion.
Consider the Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA), which has now openly urged the government not to revoke the controversial regularisation order.
Citing five reasons—years of service, faculty shortages, age factors, experience, and postgraduate teaching roles—their appeal raises more questions than answers.
Among others, who authorised these contractual appointments in the first place? Were these positions publicly advertised widely to ensure fairness? Were the thousands of similarly situated aspirants accorded same opportunity?
These are not inconsequential grievances. These are foundational questions about justice, merit, and democratic accountability.
The sinisterism is sobering: some government colleges, reportedly at the behest of the Department of Higher Education (DHE), even issued internal circulars to faculty and staff to organise rallies in support of the government’s decision. Ironically, the State’s lone autonomous government being one. That attempt, fortunately, was aborted after widespread condemnation and intervention by student bodies led by the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), and apparently at the direction of the DHE Minister.
Meanwhile, sly tactics to discredit the protestors are being deployed, while false equivalences such as “This happens everywhere, not just in Higher Education” are being drawn. Such arguments are not just weak; they are dangerous. They normalise corruption, silence dissent, and erode what little public trust remains.
The minister may justify the move as a “special measure,” but the real question remains: who determined it was special, and for whom? As highlighted in this column last week, the Gauhati High Court had issued an interim order halting the regularisation of some of the very individuals now absorbed, pending a challenge to their appointments. The absorption orders and subsequent actions suggest administrative impunity and an attempt to exploit a legal loophole where none exists.
On the other hand, Nagaland’s Higher Education sector has faced systematic neglect for years. Developmental allocations remain dismal—rising only from Rs 8.22 crore in 2022–23 to Rs 10.63 crore in 2025–26. Meanwhile, payroll expenses soared from |Rs 133 crore for 1,348 employees to Rs 163.25 crore for 1,428. Paradoxically, the department claims it cannot requisition posts due to lack of sanction, even as it absorbs 147 staff defying both logic and accountability. Nonetheless, it is time the Nagaland Government undertakes serious investment in higher education—for the sake of both contractual educators and aspirants. The government envisions establishing an Artificial Intelligence and Research Centre, yet the only thing truly “automated” appears to be the backdoor.
It is imperative that the State Government address the underlying crisis of values. Keeping the impugned order in abeyance is not a solution—it is a mere delaying tactic. If transparency is truly valued, the government must revoke the order and hold those responsible accountable for deviations from established norms. A fair recruitment process must be established, incorporating principles of natural justice where warranted. Anything less would bode ill for good governance in Nagaland.
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