After nearly two weeks of continuous protest, The Nagaland Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) 2016 batch has decided to suspend its agitation and participate in a government-appointed committee after receiving assurances that their demands will be examined within a fixed timeline.

On September 23, the twelfth day of their sit-in protest, representatives of the RMSA 2016 batch and officials of the School Education Department reached an understanding during a meeting chaired by Commissioner & Secretary for School Education and SCERT, Kevileno Angami.

The meeting, attended by senior government officers including the Principal Director, Samagra Shiksha Mission Director, executives from the All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA), and RMSA 2016 leaders, resulted in an agreement to constitute a High-Level Committee and a Sub-Committee to study the teachers’ grievances and submit recommendations.

The agitating teachers agreed to suspend their sit-in protest and accepted the formation of the committee, following assurances from the government.

The RMSA 2016 teachers, who have been demanding mainstreaming of 367 members appointed under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in 2016 have also submitted a Charter of Demands to the Commissioner & Secretary.

RMSA 2016 President, Imlitemjen said that the association decided to join the proposed committee following the government’s assurance to secure all necessary clearances from the Departments of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Finance, Law & Justice, and Monitoring & Research within six months. He added that three RMSA members will be inducted into the Sub-Committee, which will study the demands in detail and present its findings to the High-Level Committee. Two representatives each from ANSTA and RMSA will also be included in the final decision-making body.

RMSA spokesperson, Renbemo Patton credited the intervention of the Advisor for School Education, Dr. Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, and the proposal of the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister for facilitating the breakthrough. He said the association agreed to participate with conditions outlined in its Charter of Demands and received assurance from the Commissioner & Secretary that these demands would be sincerely examined.

Patton also added that the Commissioner and secretary was kind enough to look into the matter while assuring the association that they would work and consider this charter demands with sincere and with that assurance the association had decided to keep the agitation in abeyance.

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In their submission to the Commissioner and Secretary, Department of School Education and SCERT, the teachers urged the government to mainstream their services in accordance with Post Creation Notification No. DSE/RMSA-UPGRADATION/2011 and to finalise the report with all clearances within five months. They also sought assurance that the recommendations would not conflict with the pending Supreme Court judgment on the Review Petition and further requested an interim enhanced pay mechanism until the Supreme Court delivers its judgment on the pending Review Petition or until a favourable resolution by the Committee is reached.

The Association emphasised that its demands were based on established rights and urged the government to ensure transparency, legal conformity, and timeliness in addressing the issue. Subject to the government’s assurance, the Association indicated its willingness to suspend the protest.

The High-Level Committee would be constituted with representatives from the School Education Department, Directorate of School Education, Samagra Shiksha, Finance Department, and the Department of Law & Justice, to examine the grievances and submit a report to the government. Representatives from ANSTA and the RMSA 2016 batch will also be co-opted into the Committee. To expedite the process, a Sub-Committee headed by the Secretary, School Education, will be formed, comprising members from DoSE, Samagra Shiksha, two representatives from ANSTA, and three from RMSA 2016. This Sub-Committee will study the Charter of Demands in detail and prepare a preliminary report for submission to the High-Level Committee.

The government has set a six-month timeline for the completion of the process.