Kohima, Oct 14: Five major government employee associations in Nagaland — CANSSEA, FONSESA, NSSA, NIDA and NF&ASA — have called a statewide pen-down strike from October 14 to 16, protesting what they describe as the government’s violation of fair selection norms in the recent IAS induction.
At a press conference, CANSSEA president Zubemo Lotha said the dispute began in 2016–17, when the associations demanded that only NPSC-recruited officers (NPAC) be eligible for non-cadre IAS posts. A circular in 2020 upheld that demand, Lotha said, but a fresh government circular issued in March 2025 omitted the NPAC clause — a move the associations say opens the door to “backdoor” appointments and undermines meritocracy.
“The omission of the NPAC clause risks favouring non-NPSC officers and sets a dangerous precedent,” Lotha said, urging the government to restore the clause for all future selections.
Dr Illang, adviser to the core committee representing the five unions, charged that the government is contradicting its own policy framework. He pointed to government memorandums from 2001 and 2016 that stress procedural appointments and ban contract hires. “Allowing non-NPSC officers — what we call backdoor appointees — to be considered for IAS undermines meritocracy,” Dr Illang said.
The associations said they filed an RTI on September 25 with the Personnel & Administrative Reforms (P&AR) Department seeking the list of applicants, their Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) and the final five-candidate shortlist. While official documents are pending, the unions claim to have credible information that at least one shortlisted candidate is not NPAC-recruited.
The associations’ demands are clear:
Immediate withdrawal of any non-NPAC candidate from the IAS induction panel if found selected.
Permanent reinstatement of the NPAC clause in all future IAS induction processes, so only NPSC-recruited officers are considered.
The three-day strike follows weeks of silent demonstrations by government employees. Union leaders said the action aims to defend transparency, protect the integrity of the state’s civil services and safeguard opportunities for future generations.
The state government till now has not issued a formal response to the unions’ demands.
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