The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), a conglomeration of several service associations including the CANSSEA, NSSA, NF&ASA, NIDA, and FONSESA, has issued a strong appeal to the conscience of the citizens of Nagaland in defence of meritocracy and good governance, stating that its ongoing agitation is a moral and constitutional stand against the State Government’s attempt to induct a backdoor appointee into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
The Committee has been staging a black badge protest since September 24, 2025, which has been supplemented by an ongoing pen-down strike from October 14, 2025. The JCC clarified that its protest is neither directed against any individual candidate nor against the Government as an institution, but against what it described as “the wrong policies of the Government which intend to subvert meritocracy and distort the very notion and concept of merit.”
Background
The JCC traced the issue back to 2018, when the Nagaland Civil Service Association (NCSA), recognising the importance of merit-based entry into the highest administrative service of the country, had submitted a recommendation to the Government through the Chief Secretary. The recommendation stated, “As regards Non-NCS officers, only those who have been recruited to their present service/post through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) be eligible for appointment under Rule 4(1)(c) and 8(2) of the Indian Administrative Service (Recruitment) Rules, 1954.”
Following this, on July 5, 2020, the Government of Nagaland, with the approval of the Chief Minister, issued a vacancy circular for the induction of Non-State Civil Service (Non-SCS) officers into the IAS. Clause 4 of the circular stated that “only officers recruited through the Nagaland Public Service Commission may apply” along with all other conditions and criteria laid down under the IAS (Recruitment) Rules. The selection process proceeded accordingly, resulting in the induction of one Non-SCS officer into the IAS — an outcome that drew no objections from the Cabinet, the Government, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), or the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
“This act of reinforcing the IAS Regulations with Clause-4 had rather strengthened the selection process and is in line with recent Supreme Court Judgements where the Executive has been given the liberty to fill gaps and ambiguity in Rules/Regulations unless such Executive Orders supplant the Rules/Regulations,” the JCC stated.
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The same vacancy circular, including Clause 4, was again advertised on March 10, 2025, inviting applications within 15 days counting the date of advertisement. Eleven applications were received, of which one applicant later withdrew. Among the remaining ten, six had Outstanding (OS) Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) while four were rated below that grade. Of the six with outstanding records, five were shortlisted into the Panel List by the Screening Committee on September 25, 2025.
RTI findings and alleged manipulation
According to information obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the JCC said its apprehensions were confirmed. It stated that under the guise of “procedural lapses,” the eligibility criteria of Non NPSC appointee was altered through a new vacancy circular issued on April 24, 2025, allowing a Non-NPSC appointee to become eligible for IAS induction, thereby betraying the whole intention of withdrawing the vacancy circular of 10th March 2025.
“When appointments to even the lowest rung of posts in the Government are routed through the NPSC and the NSSB, the Cabinet feels that a different set of rules should apply to irregularly appointed officers for induction into the IAS,” the JCC stated.
“The JCC is against the partiality and favoritism demonstrated by withdrawing the whole advertisement only to tailor suit a particular candidate,” it reiterated.
The RTI disclosure of the Panel List recommended for IAS induction of Non-SCS officers to the UPSC included Vilone Sakhrie — Through NPSC; Neidilhou Keditsu — Through NPSC; Chubasangla Longkumer — Through NPSC; Dr. Anungla Imdong Phom — Non-NPSC (on contract basis against study leave vacancy); and Theose Tongstar — Through NPSC.
JCC’s stand and way forward
The JCC said it has communicated to the Government, through the Cabinet Sub-Committee, the need to rectify what the Government itself has admitted as procedural lapses by the Government Spokesperson. However, it insisted that this correction can only be achieved by fully restoring the March 10, 2025 vacancy circular “in toto” to meet constitutional obligations and responsibility.
The Committee reiterated that its stand is based on two clear and non-negotiable points–Cancellation of the panel list based on flawed applications and procedural errors arising from the April 24, 2025 vacancy circular; and restoration of the March 10, 2025 vacancy circular in toto.
“These demands are in line with merit, moral and procedural propriety,” the JCC asserted, adding that its movement is a “noble stand” against the induction of backdoor recruits into the IAS and a safeguard of the fragile position of meritocracy in a system often plagued by political favoritism.
The statement concluded with a call to conscience, describing the agitation as a moral, legal, political and moral correctness and propriety in matter of state governance.
