Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, IAS, has called for a major shift in Nagaland’s higher education system towards emerging disciplines, practical learning and industry-aligned courses, citing the growing mismatch between academic qualifications and employment requirements.
According to a DIPR report, he was delivering the keynote address at a one-day consultative seminar on “Emerging Trends: Introduction and Realising Potential”, organised by the Department of Higher and Technical Education at the Conference Hall of the Department of Information Technology and Communication on October 30.
Imchen said societies and institutions continuously evolve, and educational institutions must adapt to changing circumstances. He observed that the education landscape was undergoing its fastest transformation since the Industrial Revolution, driven by technological advancements and changing economic demands.
He identified rapid technological disruption, climate change, demographic shifts and the green transition as major global forces bringing structural changes to higher and technical education. He noted that premier Indian institutions, including IITs, NITs and IIMs, were also preparing graduates for high-growth technical domains.
Highlighting the traditional divide between academic and vocational education, Imchen said global education systems had for decades maintained a hierarchy in which university-oriented academic tracks were considered prestigious, while vocational courses leading to trades were viewed as secondary. This emphasis, he said, had created a paradox where many university graduates possessed theoretical knowledge but remained unemployed because they lacked the practical skills required by employers.
He described this mismatch as the skills gap and said Nagaland was facing a similar situation.
On emerging courses in higher education institutions (HEIs), the Chief Secretary identified three major structural trends: technology-driven disciplines, the green and sustainability transition, and interdisciplinary and applied professional courses.
He said technology-oriented programmes such as BTech, MTech and PhD courses in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS&AI), cybersecurity, digital and forensic sciences, FinTech and digital marketing were expanding across universities and specialised institutions. Similarly, programmes in energy science, renewable energy and other sustainability-related fields were gaining prominence in response to industry requirements and the transition towards a green economy.
According to him, these developments indicated that leading Indian higher education institutions were responding to global labour-market changes by incorporating emerging disciplines into formal academic structures. Such subjects were increasingly becoming mainstream components of higher education, strengthening the country’s capacity to respond to evolving skill requirements, technological advancements and employment opportunities.
Explaining the relationship between education and the labour market, Imchen described it as a dynamic supply-and-demand relationship in which educational institutions build human capital, while the economy determines how those skills are valued, absorbed and rewarded. He stressed that education alone did not automatically guarantee employment, as a disconnect often existed between the output of academic institutions and the requirements of industries.
Referring to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, he said the global labour market was undergoing structural transformation driven by technological innovation and digitalisation. By 2030, demand was projected to increasingly converge around digital technologies, artificial intelligence, automation and sustainability-oriented skills. High demand was expected for AI specialists, machine learning engineers, data analysts, big data specialists, cybersecurity professionals, information security analysts and network specialists.
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Nagaland faces employment and skills challenges
Speaking on the employment scenario in Nagaland, Imchen said the State had traditionally placed a high premium on education, with many parents even securing loans to educate their children, often with the expectation of government employment.
However, he said government jobs had become saturated. Recruitment into State Government services through the Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) and Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) stood at 845 persons in 2024 and 589 in 2025, highlighting the limited availability of government employment opportunities relative to the potential job-seeking population.
Citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), March 2026, he stated that the unemployment rate among the 15–59 age group in India stood at 3.5%, compared to 7.3% in Nagaland. Youth unemployment among those aged 15–29 was 9.9% nationally, against 17.5% in Nagaland.
He further referred to the report Unemployment, Skill and Migration in Nagaland 2025, which indicated that 92% of the State’s residents lacked formal vocational or technical education, while 78% of workers had no prior work experience. He said the figures pointed to a critical gap between theoretical academic learning and practical job-market readiness.
Calls for curriculum reform and institutional collaboration
On the way forward, Imchen welcomed Nagaland University’s initiative to incorporate AI components into postgraduate and PhD programmes across several departments, with implementation proposed from the 2026–2027 academic session. He urged private universities, colleges and technical institutions in the State to follow suit by integrating emerging disciplines into their curricula.
He also called on universities and colleges to establish specialised departments and introduce industry-relevant programmes. Faculty shortages and infrastructure constraints, he said, should not become stumbling blocks. Instead, institutions could explore faculty-sharing arrangements, academic collaborations, industry partnerships and hybrid learning models to facilitate implementation.
Expressing hope that the seminar would serve as a catalyst for a paradigm shift in the State’s education system, he urged representatives of universities, colleges and polytechnics to translate awareness into concrete institutional action. He called for a review of existing curricula, introduction of future-oriented programmes and greater emphasis on practical learning, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
In her welcome address, Secretary of Higher and Technical Education Sarita Yadav, IAS, stressed the need for educational institutions to keep pace with emerging technologies, changing industry requirements and evolving career opportunities.
She highlighted the importance of informed academic choices and creating awareness among students about future career prospects. She said the seminar would provide a platform for knowledge-sharing and exchange of ideas, and encouraged participants to apply the insights gained during the discussions in their respective institutions.
Nagaland University highlights phased introduction of emerging courses
Delivering the special address, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Nagaland University, Medziphema Campus, Prof. Dipak Sinha, congratulated the State Government for organising the seminar and emphasised the importance of introducing emerging courses in higher education institutions.
He said emerging courses did not necessarily have to be entirely new programmes, but could also involve updating existing curricula in response to changing technologies and market requirements. Highlighting the importance of artificial intelligence, he said AI should be incorporated across disciplines and not restricted to computer science alone.
Sinha informed that Nagaland University had begun introducing AI-related courses and suggested a phased approach through short-term certificate programmes in areas with employment potential.
He also encouraged institutions to make use of the SWAYAM online learning platform. He informed that around 70 undergraduate and 30 to 35 postgraduate students of the University had completed courses through the platform and transferred the credits to their academic records.
Highlighting opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors, he said Nagaland University had approved five agriculture-related skill enhancement courses. He also suggested faculty training programmes to help general colleges introduce similar courses.
Stressing the importance of career guidance, practical learning and entrepreneurship, Sinha called for greater industry exposure and institutional collaboration through sharing of expertise and resources. He also encouraged students to explore international scholarships and fellowships.
He emphasised that emerging courses must be supported by practical training and career guidance to adequately prepare students for future employment opportunities.
Technical sessions explore emerging disciplines
The seminar also featured technical sessions covering a range of emerging fields.
Assistant Professor Dr M Prakash spoke on green energy, renewable and sustainable energy, while Prof Dipak Sinha delivered a session on agriculture, veterinary sciences and livestock.
Joint Director of NIELIT, Er Morimenba, spoke on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, smart technologies, cybersecurity, semiconductors and data science engineering.
Deputy Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr S Yingnei Konyak delivered a session on medical science technologies, while Principal of SCTE, Dr Alemla Longkumer spoke on emerging pedagogies in arts and commerce.
The programme concluded with remarks and an action plan by the Additional Secretary and Ex-Officio Director of the Higher Education Department.
