Dimapur, March 9 (MExN): The Combined Technical Association Nagaland (CTAN) and the Nagaland NET(/Ph.D) Qualified Forum (NNQF) have submitted a petition to the Chief Minister’s Office, demanding a fair and transparent recruitment process for assistant professors and librarians under the state’s Higher Education Department.
CTAN and NNQF submitted the memorandum in connection with an ongoing contested case regarding the regularisation of assistant professors and librarians. The petitioners said that the government’s recruitment policy has invited skepticism and criticism over its legal, ethical and rational basis, tarnishing the image of Government of Nagaland at large.
Drawing attention to the government’s emphasis on the empowerment of the youth and reminding the government of its constitutional responsibility to uphold justice and equality in recruitment to public posts, the petition has raised several “salient points.”
The key demands included the urgent requisition of 129 assistant professor and librarian posts created during 2022-2023 to the Nagaland Public Service Commission. “Delay in the requisitioning of these posts would erode public trust, cause unnecessary anxiety among qualified youth, and risk stagnation in academic appointments across government colleges,” the petition stated.
The groups also sought a reconsideration of the marks weightage framework, stating that the current system places disproportionate emphasis on academic records without accounting for systemic variations in marking across different educational boards, universities, and periods. It proposed 20% for academic record with emphasis on research and publications, 10% percent for viva-voce, and 70% for the written component.
The petitioners demanded transparency in the evaluation process, “as there is no provision for disclosure of marks secured by candidates in any of the evaluation components: academic record, written exam, or interview.”
Furthermore, they insisted on clarity and consistency in the treatment of candidates holding postgraduate degrees in allied subjects, drawing attention to UGC Regulations that allow such qualifications in allied subjects in the recruitment of assistant professors.
The petition, signed by 505 signatories including research scholars, postgraduate students, social workers, doctors, assistant professors, professors, engineers, civil service aspirants, entrepreneurs, and undergraduate students, was also submitted to the Chief Secretary’s office.
