Nagaland Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma on Monday announced that the Government of Nagaland has approved the recruitment of 1,176 Constable (General Duty) posts in the Nagaland Police.
Addressing a press conference at Police Headquarters (PHQ), Kohima, Sharma said the department had been pursuing the matter for some time, but the process required consultations with various agencies, departments, and tribal organisations before final approval.
Acknowledging delays caused by the pandemic, the DGP said the upper age limit has been relaxed to 38 years to allow those who missed previous opportunities due to COVID-19 to apply. He expressed hope that if this recruitment cycle proceeds smoothly, the department will launch another cycle of around 1,200 or more posts within the next five to six months.
He explained that the number of posts is restricted by training capacity, which is about 1,000 trainees. “We are trying to squeeze in more people this time to reach around 1,200 recruits,” he added.
On the process of drafting the advertisement, the DGP said it was a long process, almost one year of hard work by the police headquarters, senior officers and officers at all ranks. He said that the department had tried to take care of almost every aspect.
He said to make things easier for public and aspirants, Nagaland police, for the first time, has stopped physical acceptance of application forms from any candidates. He said no candidates would collect or submit forms at any police office, adding this would allow applicants from the remotest parts of Nagaland, as well as students studying outside the state.
He also said that online system would reduce expenses and widen participation and hoped for increase in number of applicants.
For online applications, the DGP said that they had developed a portal, self application and assisted application however those unable to use the internet can take the assisted application filing.
In assisted application filing, he mentioned that the one-time password (OTP) for registration would only be sent to the applicant’s phone number and not to the person who is helping the aspirant to fill up the form.
Highlighting the second salient feature of the process, the DGP mentioned about introduction of a One-Time Registration (OTR) process.
Since the department plans a continuous recruitment process, the DGP said an applicant can register once with personal details free of cost. The OTR will not be for a single examination but for all future recruitments, allowing a person to apply for any advertised post by simply paying the required fees. Applications for the current recruitment will be accepted from October 6 to November 7, after which no changes can be made to the registered details, he further disclosed.
To make scrutiny easier, the portal will automatically reject applications if a candidate is below 18 or above 38 years of age, he said and advised applicants to carefully read the eligibility criteria, keep required documents such as photographs, signatures, and ID cards ready, and ensure that the same ID proof is used throughout the recruitment process.
Regarding the ID document that the applicants are uploading on the portal, the DGP said it should be same which the candidates are carrying to exam at different stages.
Regarding the future of Nagaland Police, Sharma said that there will be no separate recruitment for NAP, IR, DEF or other battalions. “Everyone recruited will go to the Indian Reserve Battalions (IRB) in principle,” he said, adding that this will help keep the IR battalions young. Over time, personnel may be shifted to other units depending on their qualifications and performance, he added.
On tribal representation, the DGP stated that tribal proportions have been fixed as per the 2011 Census, following the Government and Cabinet decisions. “I cannot overwrite the Government’s decision,” he noted.
The DGP also issued a strong caution against drug abuse, which has been included in the advertisement. “People who are substance abusers, especially opioids, can be tested at any stage, even after recruitment, and if found using drugs they will be thrown away,” he warned. Medical and physical examinations—including checks for height, chest measurement, flat foot, night blindness, and colour blindness—will be conducted either at the beginning or end of the process, and disqualification will be automatic for those failing to meet essential criteria. Candidates were advised to undergo health checks before applying, he informed.
Appealing for fairness, Sharma urged all to keep the recruitment process free of political interference, allegations, or bribery. He said internal oversight and surveillance have been put in place to ensure transparency and warned applicants not to fall for false promises, as the allocation of boards and officers would only be decided later.
Sharma also pointed that they are expecting the best from all tribes to get selected. He mentioned that the aim was to build a more cosmopolitan and representative Nagaland Police by ensuring fair tribal representation, as envisioned by the state government and supported by the chief minister and deputy chief minister.
The DGP also announced that the online recruitment portal would be opened from 12 noon on October 6 and would automatically close on the deadline.
A short video on how to use the portal would be widely circulated, while help desks have been set up at PHQ and district levels to assist applicants. District help desks have been instructed to escalate state-wide queries for uniform instructions.
Sharma also mentioned that to assist applicants, help desks with district in-charges will be available, and Common Service Centres (CSCs) will provide support for a nominal charge of Rs 36.
