Kohima | October 18,2025 | SKY LINK TIMES
Nagaland seeks Merit-Based IAS Clause Restoration:
Five key civil service associations in Nagaland have demanded the restoration of a merit-based recruitment clause in the state’s Indian Administrative Service (IAS) induction process, following the withdrawal of a key government circular that they allege was intended to favour an ineligible candidate.
The dispute revolves around a March 10, 2025 recruitment circular, which mandated that candidates for IAS induction must have entered service through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). The state government’s subsequent withdrawal of this circular has sparked widespread criticism from officers’ bodies.
Table of Contents
Joint Committee Challenges Withdrawal
In a joint statement issued on October 17, the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) — comprising CANSSEA, FONSESA, NIDA, NSSA, and NE&ASA — questioned the official justification for the circular’s withdrawal. The state government spokesperson had described the move as a “bureaucratic procedural lapse,” but the associations said it was an attempt to accommodate an irregularly appointed candidate.
They argued that a similar circular issued in July 2020, with identical eligibility requirements and approved by the Chief Minister, had led to the successful selection of an IAS officer. “If there were procedural lapses, they should have been corrected, not erased,” the statement read.
Claims of Bias and Constitutional Violation
The JCC condemned what it called a “mis-statement” by the government regarding the number of officers inducted into IAS from non-State Civil Service quotas, terming the list “biased and incomplete.”
The committee claimed that the withdrawal of the merit clause violates Article 16 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equal opportunity in public employment. “No one objected to the 2020 circular. Why was the 2025 version withdrawn only after applications were received?” they questioned, calling it evidence of nepotism and premeditated preference.
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Protests and Demand for Accountability
The associations revealed that they had made several representations to the state government since March 2025 but were never invited for consultation. Left with no option, they said, the officers’ bodies were forced to resort to protest to safeguard the principles of meritocracy and fairness.
They have demanded the restoration of Clause 4 from the March circular — which ensures that only NPSC-qualified officers are eligible — and the removal of non-NPSC appointees from the panel forwarded to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Meritocracy vs Favouritism Debate
“The sub-committee must now show whether it stands for meritocracy or favouritism,” the JCC stated, calling on the government to uphold constitutional values over bureaucratic convenience. The associations maintained that administrative conventions must never override fairness and transparency in recruitment.
The issue has reignited debate in Nagaland’s bureaucracy about the importance of merit-based governance and the risks of political influence in state-level recruitment processes.
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