In a bold escalation of their ongoing protest, members of the All Nagaland Ad Hoc Teachers Group (ANATG) from the 2015 batch have initiated an indefinite hunger strike, pressing the state government to expedite the regularisation of services for 1,166 ad hoc educators. The demonstrators accuse authorities of unnecessary delays despite multiple assurances and procedural advancements.
The agitation, now in its seventh day, began with peaceful sit-ins at Naga Solidarity Park and has intensified into a full-fledged hunger strike. The teachers, appointed under the School Education Department from the late 1990s to 2012, are seeking permanent positions after fulfilling required criteria.
A suitability examination was held in May 2017, aligned with administrative guidelines from 2008 and 2016 that allow regularisation after three years of uninterrupted service, contingent on passing the test and receiving cabinet endorsement. All 1,166 participants succeeded and were proposed for regularisation, with a formal cabinet submission made in October 2017.
However, progress halted due to judicial interventions from the Gauhati High Court’s Kohima Bench in July 2017 and August 2018, which barred the government from proceeding with contract and ad hoc employee regularisations. In response, the cabinet postponed the decision in August 2018 while approving a salary enhancement by doubling their fixed remuneration.
To resolve the impasse, a High Powered Committee was established in 2022, delivering its findings the next year. By February 2024, a dedicated policy was approved by the cabinet, leading to the issuance of a one-time regularisation framework on March 16, 2024. This applies to staff hired against approved posts before June 6, 2016, and prompted the creation of a Screening Committee.
The Education Department has since submitted records for 2,487 contract and ad hoc workers to the committee, where document validation and review are actively progressing.
Despite recent dialogues involving ANATG delegates, department heads, the Screening Committee, and top officials including the Chief Secretary, the protesters express frustration over the absence of a definitive schedule for implementation.
Local authorities have granted permission for the demonstration between 9 AM and 4 PM near the Capital Convention Centre below the Secretariat Junction. Undeterred, supporters have erected makeshift accommodations behind the Civil Secretariat, vowing to persist with the hunger strike until their grievances are addressed.
ANATG representatives argue that having successfully navigated the suitability assessment and completed all prerequisites, their push for regularisation is legitimate and overdue.
This movement sheds light on broader challenges in Nagaland’s education sector, including job security for temporary staff and the need for streamlined administrative processes to support teaching professionals.
Tags: Nagaland Teachers Protest, Ad Hoc Teachers Hunger Strike, Job Regularisation Demand, ANATG 2015 Batch, Nagaland Education Department, School Teachers Regularisation, Gauhati High Court Orders, Screening Committee Nagaland, Northeast India Education Issues, Contract Employees Policy
Hashtags: #NagalandTeachers #HungerStrike #AdHocTeachers #JobRegularisation #ANATG #NagalandEducation #NortheastIndia #TeachersProtest #SchoolEducation #RegularisationPolicy #NagalandNews
