Teachers’ regularisation deadlock deepens as Nagaland government cites procedures, refuses timeline, and ANATG resumes indefinite democratic protest statewide.
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DIMAPUR — The standoff over regularisation of ad hoc and contract teachers intensified on Wednesday as the School Education department reiterated that it could not commit to a timeline, while ANATG announced an indefinite continuation of its democratic protest.
In a press release, the department explained that it cannot issue a definite timeframe for regularisation of ad hoc and contract teachers, citing mandatory procedural requirements under the state government’s one-time regularisation policy.
The department stated that while it remains committed to addressing the concerns of All Nagaland Ad hoc Teachers Group of 2015 (ANATG-2015), their demands cannot be accepted at this stage as the process requires scrutiny and verification of documents, confirmation of eligibility criteria and compliance with established government guidelines applicable to all eligible ad hoc and contract employees.
It asserted that issuance of a specific date for regularisation or acceptance of demands outside the prescribed framework is not feasible at present.
According to the chronology provided in the department’s release, ANATG-2015 comprises 1,166 teachers appointed on ad hoc or contract basis between the late 1990s and 2012 under various categories of posts in the School Education department.
A suitability test was conducted in May 2017 to regularise their services and the case was forwarded to the Cabinet on October 26, 2017. However, the Cabinet deferred the proposal following a July 25, 2017 order of the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench restraining the state government from regularising contract appointments.
On August 3, 2018, the court quashed the relevant office memoranda and directed the state not to regularise such appointments under those provisions.
The department later resubmitted the matter to the Cabinet, which on August 29, 2018 decided that until the court case was fully resolved, services could not be regularised but the fixed salary of the ad hoc teachers would be doubled.
Subsequently, scale pay based on the 6th ROP of 2010 was granted on October 3, 2018.
In September 2021, ANATG submitted a representation seeking regularisation. The Personnel and Administrative Reforms department stated that irregularly appointed employees who had completed 10 years of continuous service as on April 10, 2006 could be regularised as a one-time measure in accordance with the Supreme Court judgement in State of Karnataka vs Uma Devi.
Following agitation by ANATG between September 26 and October 7, 2022, the government constituted a High Powered Committee headed by the principal secretary to the chief minister to resolve the issue. The committee submitted its report in June 2023.
Further, on February 9, 2024, the Cabinet adopted a policy for regularisation of contract and ad hoc employees, followed by a resolution of the 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly on March 1, 2024.
The P&AR department issued a one-time regularisation policy on March 16, 2024 for employees appointed prior to June 6, 2016 against sanctioned posts and constituted a screening committee on June 6, 2024.
Subsequently, the School Education department forwarded details of 2,484 ad hoc and contract employees along with documents to the screening committee and held discussions regarding missing documents and possible solutions.
In December 2025, ANATG issued an ultimatum threatening agitation if services were not regularised by January 30, 2026. Core members were called for discussion on February 3, 2026 and informed of the steps taken by the government.
On February 4, ANATG submitted seven demands including immediate regularisation, separate treatment for the 2015 batch, reimbursement of arrears from October 3, 2018, counting seniority from the date of appointment, processing regularisation together, posthumous regularisation of deceased members and exemption from another suitability test.
On February 5, departmental officials and ANATG members met the chairman of the screening committee, who explained the procedures and informed them that document screening was in progress. The following day, the chief secretary also held a meeting with the group and departments concerned explaining procedural requirements.
On February 9, ANATG intimated it would go on hunger strike without a satisfactory response. The Directorate of School Education requested them to hold further action, assuring the matter would be taken up.
On February 11, P&AR communicated a list of 235 ad hoc and contract employees, including 91 ANATG members, whose documents were verified and found complete for the first stage, while additional documents such as medical certificates were sought for the next stage. The department informed the teachers and requested withdrawal of agitation.
On February 13, ANATG decided to depute 10 members to assist documentation and to call off agitation only if a specific date was given. The department conveyed that a date could not be given due to verification requirements.
According to the department, a meeting chaired by the chief minister on February 16 reviewed the chronology and the screening process, including confirmation of the nature of posts held.
Another meeting on February 17 involving the Adviser for School Education, department officials, ANSTA and ANATG discussed the demands and procedures. Though inconclusive, ANATG suspended agitation and decided to consult its members.
The department stated that the one-time policy requires fulfilment of multiple conditions including submission of appointment orders, post sanction orders, educational qualifications, suitability test, antecedent verification and medical fitness certification before Cabinet approval.
It reiterated that completion of the procedures depends on submission of complete documents by the employees and compliance with existing policies, and therefore a definite timeframe for regularisation cannot be issued.
Teachers to resume protest
Meanwhile, the ANATG 2015 batch informed that it has decided to continue its democratic protest indefinitely, following a general meeting held at NSF Solidarity Park, Kohima, on Wednesday.
In a press release issued after the meeting, the group stated that the decision was taken after district-wise consultations and polling of opinions among members, particularly in light of developments after a government meeting held at the Directorate of School Education on February 17.
It stated that since 2024 its members have been submitting documents as directed by the government and the department, but some members have been asked to submit the same documents repeatedly, most recently through a notification dated February 16, 2026. The group questioned the status of documents submitted earlier at the Directorate of School Education.
According to the release, certain documents, including sanction post order numbers, appointment orders and release orders of previous incumbents, are mostly untraceable.
The group claimed that the department had verified these records during appointments and, as custodian of records, should possess them.
They claimed that the teachers have been informed that many records were incinerated during the 2017 ULB election protest when the Education office was burnt down, and that some members may therefore never be able to produce the required documents.
The group further referred to a certification issued on June 27, 2025, by the principal director of School Education stating that details of all contract and ad hoc employees appointed prior to June 6, 2016, against sanctioned posts had been verified and submitted, and sought validation and credibility of that certification.
It also objected to a circular dated February 12, 2026, requiring submission of three additional certificates, including APAR for the last five years, stating that APAR has been maintained only for regular employees and not for ad hoc teachers.
The ANATG listed several circulars issued between May 2024 and February 2026 for document submission and said members had complied by submitting all valid and available service documents.
Despite this, the group alleged repeated issuance of circulars involving some of the same members, describing it as a tactic to delay the matter. It also alleged mismanagement and mishandling of files at the department.
“In the light of all these facts and proofs, the general members unanimously decided to continue the democratic protest indefinitely till our demand is fulfilled, with possibilities of intensification as may be decided by the members,” the release stated.