Nagaland teachers' firm on indefinite protest as govt reaffirms service regularization process

Kohima, Feb 18 (PTI) Following inconclusive talks with the Advisor for School Education, the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers' Group (ANATG) 2015 Batch has announced they will go on with their agitation, demanding a definite time frame for service regularisation of 1,166 of them.

However, the Directorate of School Education has expressed its inability to set a definite time to complete the process.

On the 12th day of their protest on Wednesday, the Group held a general meeting to discuss the challenges surrounding their service regularisation, particularly focusing on developments from the Core Committee's meeting with Advisor Dr Kekhrielhoulie Yhome and officials from the Directorate of School Education.

The ANATG expressed frustration over repeated requests from the government for documents that members had already submitted multiple times since 2024.

The agitators raised concerns about the lack of clarity on the status of their previously submitted documents.

A major issue discussed was the unavailability of crucial documents, such as sanction post orders, appointment orders, and release orders, many of which were reportedly destroyed when the Education Office was set on fire in 2017 during a protest over elections in urban local bodies. The teachers questioned how they could be expected to produce these documents under the circumstances.

The group also referred to a certification issued by the Principal Director on June 27, 2025, which stated that details of all adhoc employees appointed before June 6, 2016, had been verified. They questioned the credibility of this certification and demanded further validation of the verification process.

Additionally, the ANATG raised concerns over a February 12 circular requesting the submission of Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APAR), noting that these are typically only maintained by regular employees.

The group stated that despite submitting required documents in compliance with several circulars, they continue to receive repeated requests, which they view as a deliberate attempt to delay their matter. In light of these unresolved issues, the ANATG 2015 Batch has decided to continue their protest indefinitely and may intensify it if their demands are not addressed promptly.

Meanwhile, the Department of School Education stated that while it is committed to resolving the concerns of the agitating teachers, the regularisation process cannot be expedited due to the required procedural formalities under the state’s one-time regularisation policy.

In a statement here Wednesday, the department emphasised that the process involves detailed document verification, confirmation of eligibility, and compliance with Government guidelines applicable to all eligible adhoc/contract employees in the state.

Noting that while the ANATG has raised several demands, including immediate regularisation and exemption from suitability tests, it said the process must adhere to the prescribed steps for fairness and consistency.

Outlining the chronology of events, beginning with the appointment of 1166 adhoc/contract teachers in the late 1990s and 2010s, followed by various efforts towards regularisation, including a suitability test in 2017, the department said the process was delayed due to a court order in 2017 and subsequent policy revisions.

In 2024, the government adopted a one-time regularisation policy for eligible employees appointed before June 6, 2016.

The department assured the teachers that the government is committed to addressing the issue, but stressed the need for adherence to formalities before a final decision can be made. PTI NBS NN