The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Monday expressed strong resentment over the Nagaland Cabinet’s decision on March 12 to revoke its earlier order concerning the regularization of doctors appointed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
NSF president, Mteisuding said the Federation, which has consistently upheld meritocracy and transparency in governance, was “shocked” by the Cabinet’s latest move. He stated that the Federation had viewed the formation of a High-Powered Committee (HPC) by the Government of Nagaland as a positive step toward dialogue and resolution.
“Without any consultation, the whole order was revoked by the Cabinet on March 12. It is really shocking,” Mteisuding said, questioning the manner in which the decision was taken while discussions under the HPC framework were expected to continue.
According to him, meaningful dialogue cannot proceed without proper consultation or a “ceasefire” between the state government and the NSF on the issue. He further asserted that the federation would not be in a position to move forward unless the matter is kept in abeyance and discussions are held in a transparent manner.
The development follows the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on February 26, 2026, which addressed the post-Covid creation and regularization of doctors under the Health & Family Welfare Department.
During the meeting, the Advocate General of Nagaland briefed the Cabinet that the government could not modify court orders and that the February 3, 2026 decision to keep the regularisation order on hold amounted to contempt of court. The regularization process had been put on hold earlier.
After deliberation, the Cabinet decided to revoke its decision to keep the regularization order in abeyance and restore the process of regularizing doctors appointed during the Covid-19 period.
The Cabinet also resolved to reconstitute the High-Powered Committee under the chairmanship of the Minister for Power and Parliamentary Affairs to apprise the NSF of the matter in view of judgments passed by the High Court and the Supreme Court. The HPC will include the Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Minister for Rural Development, Minister for Housing & Mechanical, Advisor for Water Resources, and MLA Achumbemo Kikon as members.
The issue has since sparked fresh tension between the state government and the NSF, with the student body demanding that the order be kept in abeyance and that formal consultations be initiated before any further action is taken.
