CANSSEA and other organisation officials during press conference in Kohima on October 13. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | October 13
The Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees’ Association (CANSSEA) along with Federation of Nagaland State Engineering Service Association (FONSESA), Nagaland Finance & Accounts Services Association (NF&ASA), Nagaland In-Service Doctors Association (NIDA) and Nagaland Secretariat Service Association (NSSA) will be enforcing three-day ‘Pen Down Strike’ beginning October 14 across all government offices in Nagaland.
The strike was called by Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of CANSSEA, FONSESA, NF&ASA, NIDA and NSSA in protest against the alleged irregularities in the induction of officers into Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in the State.
Addressing a press conference here today at its office, CANSSEA President Zubemo Lotha Tsanglao said that the state government has failed to call the Association for discussion on the issue, for which it has decided to go for democratic protest from October 14 onwards.
“All the state government employees in various districts will put down our pen,” he said.
CANSSEA along with other organisations said that it will maintain strict attendance at their workplaces. However, normal office works will be affected during the pen down strike.
The Association stated that emergency and essential services such as electricity, water, road repairs, sanitation, medical doctors and nurses providing health care, law enforcing agencies etc shall be exempted from the purview of the strike.
Respective associations have been requested to ensure that the strike is observed peacefully.
Meanwhile, to avoid academic disruption, the JCC announced that examinations under schools, colleges, and educational institutions will be exempted from the purview of the strike.
As per the JCC, the strike has been called to “awaken” the conscience of the Government, the general public and the student community, who are striving for merit.
Earlier, the JCC stated that the protest was necessitated by the Government’s “silence and nonchalant attitude” and by its failure to take any measures to address the grievances regarding the subversion of meritocracy.
The Associations stated that they are had been demanding the withdrawal of the non-NPSC candidate shortlisted on September 25 as well as restore the Vacancy Circular dated March 10, 2025, in its entirety to ensure that present and future selections into the IAS from Non-SCS are based on merit and transparency.
IAS (Recruitment) Rules, 1954
The JCC on Saturday issued a statement on the issue of IAS induction from Non-State Civil Service (Non-SCS). Under the IAS (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, it stated that the induction into the IAS from State Services is managed through two main processes: State Civil Service (SCS) – officers belonging to the established State Civil Service Cadre, such as the Nagaland Civil Service (NCS). Non-State Civil Service (Non-SCS) – officers not belonging to the formal State Civil Service cadre, but who hold equivalent gazetted posts of merit and service in the state government.
The total number of senior IAS positions in any state is subject to a quota system. At the most 33.33% of these positions can be filled via promotion/induction from state service (State Civil Service and Non-State Service Combined).
Within this one-third quota, up to 15% (meaning 15% of the 33.33%) can be reserved for the Non-SCS to which Non-SCS officers may be selected.
For Non-SCS officers, the selection process is more stringent. In addition to meeting basic eligibility criteria, they must demonstrate “outstanding merit and ability” as emphasised in the IAS Regulations making the induction of Non-SCS officers into IAS a rare and highly competitive process, the JCC stated.
Against the backdrop of these Rules and Regulations, the committee stated that the state government had issued a Vacancy Circular on March 10, 2025, for induction of Non-SCS officers, limiting eligibility to candidates recruited through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). Applicants were given 15 days to apply, but the circular was withdrawn on March 25, 2025, a day after the last submission, without explanation, raising concerns among service associations over procedural manipulation.
This raised immediate concerns among Service Associations which suspected procedural manipulation. Their suspicions were confirmed when in an extraordinary turn of events, the State Cabinet convened a meeting on March 27, 2025 and directed the P&AR Department to re-advertise the Vacancy Circular as per Central Guidelines, the JCC stated.
“What is baffling is that, the same exact Vacancy Circular was good enough to be utilised for induction of Non-SCS officers for the Select List of 2019 in the year 2020 and till the 24th March 2025 until it was found to be defective and replaced. This sequence of events exposes a deep and troubling reality that the State Cabinet can be mobilised overnight to serve vested interest,” the Committee stated.
It stated that the DOPT Guidelines mandates that an officer to be inducted into the IAS must possess “outstanding merit and ability”.
Merit reflects proven competence; ability and intelligence-qualities assessed through rigorous examinations and demonstrated performance. Backdoor appointees having bypassed this mandatory and fundamental process, cannot claim such merit and lack the legitimacy required for entry into government service, leave alone being inducted into the IAS.
The committee stated that institutions like the NPSC exist to ensure merit-based recruitment through transparent and fair procedures consistent with the principle of meritocracy while preventing arbitrary appointments, favouritism and discrimination in public employment.
“Their rules and eligibility criteria are set to ensure that only suitable individuals are considered for recruitment. These recruitment rules and eligibility criteria promotes merit-based selection, upholding transparency and accountability. Merit-based Selection is fundamental to fair governance and reinforce the principles of meritocracy in public service,” the Committee stated.
It stated that a backdoor appointee is of outstanding merit or ability undermines the very rationale for institutions like the NPSC/NSSB and disrespects the integrity of the nation's premier civil Service - the IAS, adding insults to the collective wisdom of Service Associations and the public.
“The Government's arrogant and self-righteous stance on this issue hinges on the hollow argument that the DoPT Guidelines are silent on the NPSC criteria for induction into the IAS. This is not a principled defence of meritocracy but it is a calculated attempt to cloak blatant favouritism and nepotism in the language of procedure,” it stated.
It added that silence in the DoPT Guidelines is not a consent for making backdoor appointees eligible, it is a gap that should be filled with fairness and merit which existed in the Circular Vacancy of 10th March 2025.
MERITOCRACY IN IAS INDUCTION - NOT BACKDOOR ENTRY!
Questions to the Government
• Why one rule for NPSC/NSSB aspirants and another for IAS induction?
• Why reward white washed backdoor appointees and demoralise merit-based officers?
• Why was the both March Vacancy Circular withdrawn after the last date of submission?
• Why was the Screening held without restoring the l0th March Vacancy Circular inspite of several representation not to?
• Does political patronage outweigh Constitution & fairness?
Demands
• Strict adherence to Meritocracy in IAS induction
• Induction only from NPSC - recruited officers
• Full transparency of panel list & selection criteria
• Stop political patronage, uphold merit
• Withdraw the biased and illegitimate Panel List immediately
• Restore the 10th March Vacancy Circular as the foundation for merit based IAS induction.
Slogans
“No Backdoor to IAS- Only pure Merit!”
“Respect NPSC-Reject Nepotism!”
“Transparency, Not Conspiracy!”
“IAS by Merit, Not by Favouritism!”
“IAS induction is not a political gift for continued patronage”
-Issued by Joint Coordination Committee on IAS Induction for Non-SCS. (CANSSEA, NIDA, NSSA, FONSESA & NF&ASA)
