Nagaland medical students urge government to withhold departmental exam

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) has expressed dismay over a departmental examination announced by the Health department for “regularisation of doctors who were appointed on a contractual basis during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

In a press release, the association alleged that the move contravenes the established service rules and undermines the integrity of the recruitment process for Class 1 Gazetted Officers, adding that the ‘positions that are equivalent to Extra Assistant Commissioners and Sub-Divisional Officers, should fall under the jurisdiction of the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) Combined Technical Services Examination (CTSE)’.

“The proposed departmental examination disregards the principles of meritocracy and equal opportunity, which are fundamental to fair public service recruitment,” it stated, adding that it will affect medical graduates who have been diligently preparing for competitive exams.

“To illustrate the gravity of the situation, between 2010 and 2021, the NPSC conducted examinations for only 87 Medical Officer posts that were subsequently regularized. The decision to now regularise 98 posts through a departmental examination is a deeply concerning departure from this established process,” it added, while citing the increasing number of medical graduates in Nagaland, especially after the establishment of the state’s first medical college.

Claiming that its repeated appeals for a transparent and open recruitment have been ignored, the NMSA requested the government to withhold the scheduled departmental examination on August 26 and fill the posts through NPSC Combined Technical Services Examination (CTSE), like in other states.

It went on to request student bodies, civil society organisations, community leaders and the public to stand with them in rejecting the decision of the state government.