Dimapur, March 6 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed objection to a statement made by Temjen Imna Along, Minister for Higher Education, on the floor of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly regarding alleged interference by certain organisations in matters related to the National Institute of Technology Nagaland.
A press statementfrom the NSF stated that it if the minister’s remarks were directed at the NSF, “the Federation would like to unequivocally assert that we claim full responsibility for raising these concerns in the larger interest of the Naga people and the student community.”
The NSF also stated that it was displeased with the manner in which the matter was presented in the Assembly. According to the federation, “the Minister chose to present half information on the floor of the Assembly, thereby attempting to mislead the House and the public regarding the genuine concerns raised by the Federation.”
The federation maintained that it had formally raised the issue with the authorities. It said, “The Federation had formally submitted a representation to the concerned authorities clearly objecting to the ongoing recruitment process and recommending corrective measures for due action,” adding that “the Federation’s intervention was necessitated by glaring discrepancies in the recruitment pattern of the institution.”
Highlighting concerns about faculty composition at NIT Nagaland, the NSF stated, “It is an undeniable fact that the present composition of the faculty in the National Institute of Technology Nagaland reflects a serious deviation from the existing policy, wherein only 13.7 percent of the teaching faculty are indigenous to the State, despite the provision that at least 50 percent representation should be from the local populace.”
The NSF said it had recommended halting the current recruitment process until the discrepancies were addressed. “The Federation had therefore objected to the present recruitment exercise and recommended that the process be kept in abeyance until these discrepancies are rectified,” it said, adding that the recommendations were made “to ensure transparency, policy compliance and equitable opportunity for qualified indigenous candidates.”
The NSF also raised concerns regarding opportunities for local youth. It stated that “even the Institute Canteen is being operated by non-local individuals, outsourced from outside of the state to specifically cater to the majority of the faculty who are non-indigenous, while capable local youth and entrepreneurs remain deprived of opportunities within institutions established on Naga soil.”
The federation further said it had received complaints from students regarding the academic environment at the institute. According to the statement, “Several faculty members reportedly do not conduct lectures or can communicate in English, which has caused immense difficulties for students from the state who are unable to comprehend lectures delivered in Hindi.”
Questioning the minister’s awareness of the situation, the NSF stated that it is “compelled to question how well the Hon’ble Minister is acquainted with the administrative lapses in the recruitment procedures at NIT and the stark realities faced by the students of the State.” It added that “rather than attempting to discredit organizations that raise genuine issues, the government must recognize that Nagas are increasingly being placed at a disadvantage due to procedural negligence.”
The federation said the recommendations it made were intended to address long-term concerns affecting the institution. “It is precisely because of these multiple discrepancies, where the Nagas are at the losing end, that NSF has recommended remedial rectifications which will determine the future trajectory of the institution for the coming several decades,” the statement said.
It also cautioned the minister “against standing in the way of legitimate Naga interests or attempting to sabotage corrective measures for short-term convenience,” while stating that “public institutions in the state must not become spaces where the indigenous population is systematically side-lined.”
It reiterated the demand for the provision of at least 80 percent indigenous Naga representation in both teaching and non-teaching positions in the National Institute of Technology Nagaland and Nagaland University to ensure meaningful participation, institutional accountability and long-term stability.
