Kohima: No pay for months—yet they stayed. Behind the rising protests and heated debate over the regularisation of 147 contractual assistant professors and librarians in Nagaland lies a quieter story: teachers who have spent years working without job security, hoping for recognition that now places them at the centre of a political and social storm.
The Nagaland government’s December 18, 2024 order that allowed the regularisation of contractual Assistant Professors and Librarians in government colleges has drawn strong support from the All Nagaland Government College Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA) and sections of the faculty while evoking protests from students and aspirant groups with the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN), and the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) leading protests outside the directorate of Higher Education.
The order notified the absorption of these contractual employees on fixed salary in the level of Academic level 10 following a cabinet decision for a one-time dispensation.
Prior to this notification, contractual teachers initially appointed were paid Rs 8,000, their pay was later increased to Rs 12,000, then Rs 20,000, and in 2020, it reached Rs 30,000.
Voices from the classroom
Amidst the growing divide, a contractual Assistant Professor shared with EastMojo the emotional and professional toll the controversy has taken on affected educators.
“We’ve been working for years under contract—often months without pay—but never gave up. We knew there was no job security. Still, we served willingly, teaching students, helping colleges meet accreditation requirements, and taking on responsibilities just like any regular staff,” said a faculty member, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Even amid the tension, these teachers have been posted in their respective colleges without pay for four months.
The educator emphasised that their work was not an attempt to bypass merit, but a practical response to gaps in the education system. “These posts were not against sanctioned posts like the government has informed. At a time when the government needed teachers, we were brought in on a need basis. We were not promised regularisation, but we hoped. And when the government finally recognised our service, it was a moment of happiness—not just as teachers, but as human beings. It felt like our prayer was answered.”
However, the situation has now spiralled. While acknowledging the legitimacy of student protests and job aspirants’ concerns, the teacher expressed that the backlash has turned deeply personal.
“It’s blown out of proportion. People are calling us shameless. Our names are being publicised and we are being treated like we are not Nagas, like we’re outsiders. The attacks on social media have gone beyond debate,” the teacher said, their voice weary.
Another teacher acknowledged that recruitment must be fair and systematic, but questioned why their side of the story has been so absent from public discourse. “We are not against sanctioned posts. We are not against aspirants. But this vilification—this one-sided narrative—is painful. We did what we could with dignity. We worked when colleges needed us,” the person shared.
They pointed out that many are now overage and no longer eligible for recruitment through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). “Even if we wanted to compete, we cannot. Our prime years are gone. Our lives and careers are at stake now,” the teacher shared.
With protests building and calls for revocation growing louder, the teacher said all they can do now is wait. “We are all in tension. We don’t know what’s coming next. Our students are gearing up for their examinations. We just hope the government resolves this soon, in a way that’s fair to everyone. But we want people to remember—we are also human,” the teacher shared.
Government teachers’ bodies are back to one-time dispensation
The All Nagaland Government Colleges Teachers’ Association (ANGCTA), which represents 16 government colleges across Nagaland, has thrown its full weight behind the decision to regularise the contractual teachers. In a letter dated April 19, 2025, addressed to the Chief Secretary, the association urged the state government not to revoke the absorption order.
According to the ANGCTA, the decision is not only timely but necessary. It stated that many absorbed faculty had served with minimal pay and limited benefits for years, contributing significantly to academic and institutional development.
“The participation and contributions for the academic excellence of the Government institutions made by these contractual teachers cannot go unnoticed as many of them have served the Institutions for many years and have become indispensable in the functioning of the colleges in being well equipped with the subject matters and expertise in engagements in various capacities,” the ANGCTA said.
The association also highlighted practical concerns—many of the absorbed faculty are now over-aged for fresh recruitment, and revoking the order would effectively push them into unemployment.
“Experience is an indispensable element in the teaching-learning process in any academic institution and these groups of teachers are befitting to this required element in their respective colleges in which they are serving and that makes them unpartable,” they also argued.
Students and aspirants push back
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) demanded the revocation of the order. They argued that while the contractual faculty should not be immediately terminated, their nature of appointment should only remain contractual and not be absorbed.
The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) also urged the government to roll back the absorption order. In a letter to the Minister of Higher Education, the union argued that the appointments were made outside established norms and bypassed fair recruitment processes.
“The fact that the contractual teachers have sincerely contributed their services towards the government colleges in particular and the students at large is appreciated. However, the mode of appointments made in contradiction to the rules and regulations has led to outrage from the aspirants,” ANCSU said.
Citing the rapid increase in contractual appointments—which now make up about one-fifth of the total teaching force—the ANCSU reiterated its call for systemic faculty recruitment aligned with NEP guidelines.
Meanwhile, In a joint statement on Saturday, the Combined Technical Association of Nagaland (CTAN) and the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum (NNQF) reiterated their core demands: the immediate revocation of the government order dated December 17, 2024, and the requisition of all Assistant Professor and Librarian posts that were filled on a contractual basis after June 6, 2016—the date on which an official memorandum banned such appointments.
According to the two groups, of the 147 contractual employees absorbed under the order, 69 were appointed after the 2016 directive. They have called for the cancellation of the regularisation of all these employees and specifically demanded the termination of those appointed in violation of the government’s notification.
The CTAN and NNQF took to the streets in demand for the revocation of the order where hundreds of aspirants began demonstrating outside the Directorate of Higher Education on Wednesday. The protests are expected to intensify on Monday, with a march planned from the Secretariat to the Higher Education Directorate.
“Hard work is overrated, try corruption”, “They conduct astronaut level exams for 4th grade jobs but 1st grade jobs are recruited through backdoor”, “Meritocracy died here, RIP”, were some of the slogans the protestors displayed.
Counter protest?
In a new development, a circulation from the principal of Kohima Science College went viral on social media. The notice directed all government college teachers and students to participate in a peaceful demonstration on April 21, 2025, in support of the absorbed faculty and the cabinet’s one-time dispensation decision.
The message asked all Heads of Departments to mobilise their departments for the event, aimed at acknowledging the contributions of regularised Assistant Professors and affirming the cabinet’s decision.
However, this call to action drew immediate opposition from the NSF and ANCSU. The NSF reiterated its strong opposition to the absorption of Assistant Professors through a one- time dispensation, bypassing due process and open recruitment.
“This move, executed in blatant disregard of the Federation’s appeals and representations, reflects a gross miscarriage of justice and undermines the future of thousands of deserving and qualified aspirants across the state,” it said warning affiliated student bodies to refrain from participating. The ANCSU also cited a standing resolution from 2017, directing all its affiliated and associate units not to participate in any other protest or agitation.
The CTAN and NNQF also questioned, “Why is ANGCTA using students as shields to protect their employment? Why did they not protest for the gaps before this issue?”
Also Read | Explained: The uproar over controversial regularisation of contractual teachers
You just read a story that took days to report. Help us keep our reporters on the ground in the Northeast.
Ad-free reading, support and keep important stories alive
Support once (any amount)
Scan to pay via UPI