The All Nagaland Pre-Service Teachers’ Association (ANPSTA) has raised grave concerns over the state of teacher recruitment in Nagaland, alleging systemic corruption and a severe threat to the future of education.
ANPSTA President, Hitova I Murrumi, addressing a press conference on Tuesday at Hotel Japfü Kohima asserted that the state School Education department is “setting a time bomb for the upcoming generation” by failing to educate citizens and manage recruitment transparently.
He said the association had, two weeks ago, submitted a representation to the Department of School Education requesting the requisition of all vacant Primary Teacher (PT) posts to the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB). To date, there has been no response from the authorities, he added.
Murrumi highlighted a decade-long stagnation in fair hiring, stating, “As the saying goes, there’s a time for everything. The Education Department has proven that patience doesn’t always win. We have waited 10 years, still counting, without a single advertisement for PT posts.” He cited an RTI reply that revealed “bogus random appointments” including the appointment of unqualified matriculates to PT posts and individuals appointed in two different locations.
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He contrasted the past where fewer trained teachers forced the government’s hand, with the present scenario of thousands of qualified, unemployed trained teachers.
“In an era of political and social progress, and with the innovation of AI, how can we compete with other states if the Education Department continues with backdoor appointments?” he questioned.
Maintaining that education is the bedrock of Naga society which can only be achieved through quality education, and went on to question further how the Naga society can be expected to move ahead when the roots of its education are crippled. He also pointed out that fixing the education system is key to solving unemployment as a strong foundation would enable youth to compete for thousands of central jobs with ST quotas.
The ANPSTA leader also appealed to aspiring teachers to abstain from taking professional courses unless the government gives a green signal, calling the D.El.Ed “a scam of a two-year course” that contributes to unemployment due to the lack of quality education and job opportunities.
Association general secretary Chalievi Dahou presented details obtained through Right to Information (RTI), which revealed discrepancies and a lack of transparency.
She said the association filed two RTIs seeking the total number of teachers appointed from 2018 to date, and the total number appointed from 2016 to date, including their details, qualifications, and proof of public advertisement.
ANPSTA claimed the responses from the Public Information Officer were “full of discrepancies.” According to them, a comparison showed numerous inconsistencies, with names present in one RTI response missing from the other, and some names missing from both entirely.
As per compiled data, 401 primary teachers were recruited from 2016. After removing repeated names, the figure stands at 397. However, proof of public advertisement was provided for only two posts- one in Mon district on September 25, 2020 and another one in Wokha district on July 7, 2021.
“This begs the question: what about the other 395 appointments? Without proof of public advertisement, it can only be assumed they were backdoor appointments,” stated Dahou.
Among the 397 appointments, 65 teachers were found to lack teaching qualifications. The breakdown includes: 10 with Pre-University (PU) degrees; 35 with BA degrees; 9 with MA degrees; 3 with B.Com degrees; 1 with an ITI certificate; 1 with a B.Sc. degree; 4 with no qualifications mentioned; 1 matriculate; 1 substitute teacher.
“This is a very sensitive issue that demands transparency and accountability from the department. Even human error is unacceptable; it is the department’s duty to provide accurate data,” Dahou emphasized.
She questioned the moral authority of such appointees, asking how they could teach honesty and integrity to children when their own recruitment process is flawed.
The ANPSTA further pointed to the department’s own Annual Report which showed that the number of PTs increased by 289 from 2022-23 (9,337) to 2023-24 (9,626). When questioned by the association, the department stated to have attributed the rise in figures to “retirements or unfortunate deaths”.
“The main question is, did all 289 new teachers replace those who retired or died? And if so, why were these replacements not done through open, fair recruitment?” Dahou asked.
The district-wise data of PT appointments (2016- till date) as given by the department include- Kohima-34, Dimapur-64, Chumukedima-22, Niuland-22, Zunheboto-59, Mokokchung-35, Tseminyu-2, Peren-9, Wokha-41, Phek-22, Meluri-6, Tuensang-12, Noklak-7, Kiphire-7, Longleng-7, Shamator-6, Mon-42.
As per the details provided by the association, the district-wise data of unqualified teachers included- Mon: 8, Niuland: 8, Dimapur: 7, Chumukedima: 7, Zunheboto: 7, Wokha: 5, Kiphire: 6, Longleng: 4, Tuensang: 4, Phek: 2, Noklak: 2, Kohima: 1, Mokokchung: 1, Tseminyu: 1, Peren: 1, and Shamator: 1.
ANPSTA clarified that their protest is not against the government but against a very wrong system. They expressed frustration that while every assembly session highlights unemployment, vacancies remain closed for over a decade despite clear evidence of backdoor appointments. The association is of the strong view that the future of the younger generations will be in jeopardy if change is not made.
Meanwhile, the association has submitted a memorandum to the Principal Director School Education reiterating a previous demand (August 28, 2025) for the “immediate release of 1168 Primary Teacher posts” and to “issue a notification for a fair recruitment through NSSB within two weeks.”
The memorandum cites a Supreme Court order dated August 11, 2023, which mandates that recruitment of Primary Teachers should be solely and exclusively for D.El.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) due to the psychological and developmental needs of young pupils. It emphasizes that ECCE, Montessori trainees, B.Ed, and M.Ed degrees are not aligned with primary education.
The ANPSTA expressed hope that the department would heed their grievances and open vacancies for trained and qualified teachers, ensuring a fair future for education in Nagaland.
