Open Letter to Temjen Imna Along, the Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Nagaland

Dear Sir,
We, the Scholars/researchers/academicians from Nagaland working and pursuing studies from various universities across the country, are writing to you to express our deep concern and thereby draw your kind attention with regard to the failure to advertise the newly created post of 68 Assistant professors and Librarian in the recently advertised Common Education Services Examination 2018 by the Nagaland Public Service Commision. As you are well aware that the state cabinet has approved the creation of 110 Assistant Professors posts to be recruited within the year 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 vide the Office Memorandum No. CAB 2/ 2013, Sl. No 5, dated 4th of July 2018. The office memorandum clearly mentions that 68 of the 110 posts were to be created within the year 2018-2019 and the remaining 42 within 2019-2020.

Accordingly, the honourable Governor of Nagaland has given his consent by approving the recruitment of the 68 posts on the 9th of August, 2018, through the notification No. HE/ESTT/2-6/207. It may be humbly mentioned that both documents- the notification and the office memorandum of the state cabinet- were widely circulated in social media.

As such, the decision of the State Cabinet to create a sizable number of Assistant Professor posts for the year 2018-19 has been a positive departure from the existing trends.

Hence, this noble decision taken under your able leadership is a testimony of you giving due importance to meritocracy and bettering the quality of higher Education in the state; your decision has also been widely commended and welcomed by the academic fraternity. In view of this, all NET/PhD qualified, assistant professor aspirants have been waiting in great anticipation for the announcement of the said posts by the NPSC. However, much to our disappointment, when the Nagaland

Public Service Commission advertised the Common Education Service Examination, 2018, for various posts of Assistant Professor and Post Graduate Teacher, the 68 posts meant to be recruited within 2018-2019 were not included. On enquiry, the Department of Higher and Technical Education has responded that it is yet to requisition the 68 posts to the Nagaland Public Service Commission. With the last date of applications, as advertised, fixed on the 21st of September, 2018,

apprehension has risen among the academic fraternity with regard to the fate of the 68 posts of Assistant Professors and librarian, which are clearly earmarked for the year 2018-19; and whether the exams can be conducted along with the recently advertised posts.

Therefore, in light of the above, we appeal to your esteemed office to kindly restore our faith and requisition the 68 posts (without any reservation of posts for regularisation for those appointed through backdoor) to the NPSC at the earliest for advertisement and ensure that the exams for the mentioned posts be conducted along with the recently advertised Common Education Service Examination, 2018.

It is felt that your timely intervention will go a long way in once again instilling faith among the thousands of young Naga aspirants in the recruitment system, in meritocracy and right to equal opportunity. It is also felt that your sagacity will be instrumental in giving hope to the future generation and in imparting better quality education.
The academic fraternity look forward to your positive response on this crucial matter of education.

Yours Sincerely,
Nagaland NET Qualified Forum