Kohima: The Nagaland government on Wednesday officially revoked its contentious April 21 order that had regularised the services of 147 assistant professors and librarians, following sustained protests by various student and civil society organisations.
The decision was taken during a state Cabinet meeting earlier in the day after reviewing an interim report submitted by the High Powered Committee (HPC), which was constituted to examine the issue.
State government spokesperson and Minister K.G. Kenye confirmed the revocation during a press briefing.
“Since the agitation began on April 21, the government has remained engaged with the matter. A High Powered Committee was set up with a mandate to investigate and submit a report within eight weeks, which was later shortened to four. In light of the interim findings, the Cabinet has decided to revoke the order,” Kenye said.
The announcement came amid growing pressure from organisations such as the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN), and Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF), which had launched coordinated protests demanding the cancellation of the regularisation.
Earlier in the day, the NSF escalated its agitation by locking the main gate of the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) office in Kohima, while CTAN and NNQF continued their peaceful sit-in for a sixth consecutive day.
Local authorities attempted to mediate, but the groups stood firm until the official revocation was issued.
A government notification, signed by Chief Secretary J. Alam, stated: “In supersession of the Department’s April 21 notification and in public interest, the Governor of Nagaland is pleased to revoke the absorption notifications dated December 12, 2024, and April 10, 2025, with immediate effect. This has Cabinet approval.”
Kenye also addressed criticism regarding the initial decision, acknowledging that the Directorate of Higher Education had “misled” the government into approving the regularisation, in violation of a standing 2016 directive that prohibits such appointments without due process.
He termed the incident an “eye-opener” and assured that appropriate disciplinary measures would follow after the HPC’s final report is submitted in the coming weeks.
Following the revocation, protest leaders announced the suspension of their demonstrations.
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NSF vice president Mteisuiding Herang and secretary Pithungo Shitio formally called off their protest.
CTAN convenor Meshenlo Kath also confirmed the end of their agitation but submitted a memorandum demanding that all 147 posts be requisitioned through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) within three weeks to ensure a merit-based recruitment process.
Kath warned that failure to initiate the NPSC recruitment process within the stipulated time would lead to the resumption of protests by CTAN and NNQF.
