Kohima, August 18 (MExN): The Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) has expressed solidarity with the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in opposing the candidature of a non-indigenous applicant under Nagaland’s state quota for NEET UG (MBBS/BDS) 2025.
The candidate in question, with All India Rank 113803 and Nagaland State Rank Category III, has listed a Kohima address based on her father's posting but hails from Haryana, the NMSA maintained in its press release.
The association emphasised that “she is neither a bonafide resident nor an indigenous inhabitant of Nagaland, and does not belong to any of the recognized Scheduled Tribes of the State.” Therefore, her inclusion under Nagaland’s State Quota is, “untenable and in direct violation of the very spirit of reservation policy.”
NMSA emphasised that Nagaland’s State Quota for professional courses is strictly reserved for indigenous Naga candidates, as mandated by state laws and policies. The candidate, being a permanent resident of Haryana, must seek admission through her home state counselling process. Utilizing Nagaland’s State Quota based solely on temporary residence service postings constitutes misuse of a highly sensitive and protective policy measure, the association stated.
Stating that Nagaland receives only a very limited number of MBBS seats (around 40–42) from the central pool towards its State Quota, which is “already insufficient to meet the aspirations of thousands of deserving indigenous students.”
It added that “allowing such practices unchecked would open the door for misuse of the reservation framework, setting a dangerous precedent that could systematically erode the rights and opportunities of indigenous Nagas.”
NMSA therefore, joined the NSF in demanding, immediate disqualification of the non-indigenous candidate from Nagaland's NEET UG 2025 state quota, and to implementation of stricter verification and scrutiny measures to prevent any exploitation of reserved seats.
It urged the authorities to treat this matter with utmost seriousness and urgency, in order to uphold the sanctity of the reservation policy and safeguard the educational rights of the indigenous people of Nagaland.
