Nagaland government denies issuing notification for assistant professors' absorption

• At least three government colleges’ student bodies support absorption
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• DIMAPUR — As the purported arbitrary posting of 147 assistant professors in the Higher Education department is under censure from various quarters, Chief Secretary Dr. J Alam has said that the government did not issue the notification officially.
  
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• In a circular issued on April 10, the chief secretary stated: “This office has not issued the notification officially, and accordingly, all the principals, Government Colleges, Nagaland are hereby directed not to facilitate handing over and taking over basing on the aforementioned notification.”
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• The notification in question, dated April 8 (Posting of Assistant Professors), had gone viral on social media. “This notification shall be considered null and void until further order from this office,” the CS stated.

Also read: Naga Research Scholars’ Forum Shillong condemns bias appointment of assistant professors

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• Remarkably, four government college student unions—from Sao Chang College, Kohima Science College, Zunheboto Government College, and Dimapur Government College —had written separate letters to the Higher Education supporting the absorption of assistant professors.
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• They expressed total support towards the absorption of assistant professors into regular service for reasons including “suffering for a decade due to the shortage of teachers” and “fulfilling the longstanding requirements of experienced teachers in the government college.”
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•  Sao Chang College Students’ Union went on to mention that even if the contract teachers are absorbed into regular service, the institution will still be facing a shortfall of teachers as per the guidelines of the New Education Policy. Likewise, the Zunheboto Government College Students' Union stated: “Befittingly, their contingency services have been regularised. As such, we would like to thank the department for rewarding the teachers for their many years of service.”
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• The Dimapur Government College Students’ Council conveyed gratitude to the department “for bringing a closure to the long-pending issue of some of our teachers who were serving with utmost sincerity on contractual basis, by way of their service absorption, when there was no sanctioned post, they have filled the gap of shortfall of teachers.”
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•  The Kohima Science College Students’ Union, Jotsoma, went on to thank the department for fulfilling the longstanding requirement of experienced teachers.
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• “With the introduction of semester system, when there were shortfalls of teachers without any sanctioned post, the present absorbed teaching faculty filled in the vacuum, which ensured that students were not denied their Right to Education and ensured that the academic activities continued uninterrupted,” the letter read.
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• Later on, the union issued another letter nullifying its previous statement of support for the absorption of assistant professors.
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• “After careful consideration and in view of the ongoing issues, we have deemed it necessary to nullify the said statement. We hereby nullify our earlier statement dated April 9 and declare that the same shall be deemed null and void ab initio. The KSCSU does not intend to take any stance that may be interpreted as either in support of or in opposition to any party involved in the matter,” it stated.
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• The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union has led the opposition against the absorption of assistant professors without following the mandated recruitment process through the Nagaland Public Service Commission.