Both Nagaland govt, JCC stand firm on their position over IAS induction

Kohima, Oct 30 (PTI) The standoff between the Nagaland government and the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) over the induction of state government officials to the IAS cadre deepened on Thursday, with both sides holding firm to their positions.

While the state government defended its stand as being in line with long-standing convention, the JCC announced that its 'pen down strike' will continue even as it offered a three-day window, till November 3, for any meaningful dialogue that directly facilitates its core demands.

In a circular issued this evening, the JCC on IAS Induction, comprising five bodies of government employees in the state, said a meeting was held earlier in the day with Chief Secretary, Administrative Heads of Departments, and representatives of the Service Associations following an invitation from the Chief Secretary’s office.

The meeting, it said, was convened upon the advice of the Cabinet to explore a "workable dialogue" on the JCC’s key demands — the withdrawal of the Non-NPSC candidate from the IAS induction panel list and restoration of the vacancy circular dated March 10.

However, the JCC reiterated that its demands, which it described as upholding "meritocracy", were "non-negotiable and non-bargainable".

"All workable dialogue which falls short of our core demands are unacceptable unless such a dialogue facilitates our demands," it stated.

According to the JCC, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), after receiving representations from the Committee, have placed the responsibility for resolving the issue squarely on the state government.

"The ball is now in the court of the state government, and any act of omission or commission rests solely upon its decision," the JCC said, urging the government to take the "legal and morally right decision".

While reiterating its decision to continue the agitation, the JCC said it appreciates the offer for dialogue from the government "provided it facilitates the acceptance of our core demands." Meanwhile, briefing the media here tonight, Nagaland Government spokesperson and minister K G Kenye defended the government's stand, stating that the IAS induction process being followed is based on decades-old administrative convention. He said the JCC's insistence that only Nagaland Civil Service (NCS) officers be considered for IAS induction was a "new development" and not consistent with long-standing practice.

"This is the first time we are facing such opposition to having even one IAS vacancy open to other services," Kenye said, adding that successive governments have always recommended at least one non-State Civil Service officer who has shown "outstanding merit, efficiency, and service record".

Kenye clarified that the March 10 circular, which restricted the IAS induction panel to NCS officers, stemmed from an earlier July 6, 2020 order that lacked the approval of competent authorities.

He said the Cabinet thoroughly reviewed past government orders — including those from 2013, 1954, and 1997, as well as the DoPT guidelines — and decided to withdraw the restriction, thereby restoring eligibility to other service officers.

"The government has not introduced any new policy. We are only continuing the age-old conventional practice," Kenye said, asserting that any change in this practice would require a political and policy-level decision.

Kenye expressed hope that the employees would call off their strike in the interest of the general public and wait till the outcome of their letter addressed to the UPSC and DoPT. PTI NBS NBS RG