In Nagaland, government employees have escalated their protest by extending a pen-down strike indefinitely over the contentious induction of non-state civil service officers into the IAS. The state government, in response, has formed a high-level panel to hold talks and resolve the crisis.
The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), representing major Nagaland government employee associations, has announced that its three-day pen-down strike (which began October 14) will now continue indefinitely. The employees demand that induction into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) should exclude officers from non-state civil services.
JCC leaders described the government’s recent handling of the issue as an “erosion of fairness and meritocracy,” and said they have no choice but to extend their protest until their demands are met. However, teachers and educational institutions have been exempted from the strike.
Meanwhile, offices across state departments in districts, sub-divisions, and directorates remain closed, disrupting public services.
After a recent Cabinet meeting, Nagaland’s senior minister K.G. Kenye (also spokesperson) clarified that a clause in a March 10 advertisement limiting IAS induction to only those recruited via the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) was a “procedural lapse.”
“The matter was never brought to the chief minister, who is also in charge of the Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&AR) department. The file did not reach his table before the advertisement was issued,” Kenye said, as per PTI.
He said it contradicted past practice, which allowed officers from other state services to be inducted too, according to a PTI report.
To resolve the conflict, the government has constituted a subcommittee comprising two deputy chief ministers, two cabinet ministers, and the chief secretary.
This body will examine all aspects of the issue and meet with the JCC and stakeholders by October 20. Kenye also appealed to protesting officers, stating, “We function as a family. If there are grievances, they should be brought to the notice of the government instead of resorting to agitation.”
He reiterated that many non-NPSC officers have historically been inducted into IAS, and that merit, service record, integrity, and Annual Performance Reports matter more than entry point.
