Nagaland Employees Strike for Meritocracy in IAS Induction

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), representing five major employee unions, commenced a three-day pen-down strike on Tuesday, severely disrupting Nagaland government offices across the state. The protest stems from opposition to the inclusion of a non-NCS officer into the IAS cadre without open recruitment.

The controversy ignited when the state recalled a vacancy circular dated March 10, intended for IAS induction, sparking allegations of favoring a non-state cadre officer. The JCC insists on adherence to the 2001 and 2016 Office Memorandums requiring open advertisement via the Nagaland Public Service Commission.

A JCC representative reported that despite ongoing protests, no dialogue has been initiated by the government, prompting this phase of symbolic protest. Offices displayed banners supporting merit-based IAS induction. Attempts to contact government officials remained unanswered, though a State Cabinet meeting is expected to address the issue.