The Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) has extended its firm support to the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) ultimatum demanding the revocation of the State Government’s direct regularisation of 97 contractual COVID-appointed Medical Officers without recruitment through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
In a comprehensive statement issued from its office, the NMSA reaffirmed its full respect for the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench judgment (WA/25/2025, dated 11.12.2025) and emphasized its faith in the rule of law, while asserting the necessity to place on record certain policy, institutional, and governance-related concerns arising from the direct regularization of 97 Contractually appointed Medical Officer posts without recruitment through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
The Association echoed NSF’s concerns that large-scale regularisation outside the purview of the Nagalnd Public Service Commission (NPSC) and Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB) undermines the principles of transparency, meritocracy and equal opportunity enshrined in the Constitution of India. It warned that such action not only erode public trust in recruitment institutions but also jeopardize the future of hundreds of qualified Naga medical graduates who have been diligently preparing for an equal, open competitive examinations.
The NMSA also fully endorsed and amplified the specific demands outlined by the NSF before the state Government in their statement issued on December 19 last.
Also read: NSF issues ultimatum against regularization of COVID-era Medical Officers
While appreciating the invaluable services rendered by all healthcare workers engaged during the extraordinary and unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic period, the NMSA said recognition of service, howsoever significant, must still be balanced with the constitutional and statutory framework governing public employment, especially for Class I Gazetted posts, for which It was explicitly stated that the terms and conditions governing the engagement of COVID Medical Officers at the time of their appointment were unequivocally temporary and purely contractual in nature, limited to a fixed tenure of 12 months, with a clear clause disallowing any claim to regular service without selection through a Special Recruitment Drive under the NPSC or NSSB.
While acknowledging the directive of the Central Government conveyed through the notice issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare dated 3rd May 2021, which recommended State/UT Governments to consider giving preference in regular Government appointments of health professionals through the respective Public Service Commission/other recruitment bodies, who complete a minimum of 100 days of COVID relate duty, the NMDA said that the policy adopted by Nagaland Government to directly regularize 97 Contractual COVID medical officers by bypassing the norms and procedures of the Nagaland Public Service Commission and confining the benefit to a select group alone, is discriminatory in nature and only nominally follows the Central Government’s directive.
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It claimed that several other healthcare workers who have rendered more than 100 days of COVID-related duty but have been excluded from consideration. Consequently, the impugned action is, in substance and effect, not a recruitment drive in accordance with the Central Government’s advisory, but a selective “Special Regularisation Drive,” violative of the principles of equality, fairness, and merit-based public employment, it further stated.
It also cited Nagaland Health Service Rules 2006, along with established constitutional principles governing public employment, envisage that appointments to Class I Gazetted medical posts shall ordinarily be made through a transparent, competitive, and merit-based selection process conducted by the NPSC.
It further said direct regularization, particularly on a large scale, bypasses these safeguards and raises concerns that extend beyond the individuals involved and to the long-term integrity of the recruitment system.
“If the intent of the Government is to acknowledge and reward service rendered during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that such recognition be inclusive, equitable, and non-discriminatory.
The pandemic response was a collective and multisectoral effort. In addition to government-appointed Contractual medical officers, doctors from private hospitals, other government Contractual doctors across departments, and a wide range of healthcare professionals rendered invaluable services during the crisis,” the Association stated.
It also stated that the contribution of paramedical staff, nurses, laboratory technicians, ASHAs, allied health workers, sanitation workers, ambulance personnel, and frontline workers cannot be overstated.
The Association stressed that the pandemic response was a collective and unified effort, involving not just government contractual doctors but multiple sectors including police and security forces, who ensured enforcement of public health measures; district administration and civil officials, who coordinated containment, logistics, and relief; Power department and essential services personnel, who ensured uninterrupted electricity and utilities; and transport, municipal, and disaster management staff, who maintained essential operations.
“All these COVID warriors performed their respective duties with dedication and personal sacrifice. Selective recognition of only one category of workers through direct regularization, while others who contributed equally continue to be governed strictly by existing service rules, raises concerns of unequal treatment and inconsistency in policy,” it asserted.
The Association also proposed fair, lawful, and balanced alternatives through which the COVID-time service of Contractual medical officers can be meaningfully recognised without bypassing the NPSC such as one-time age relaxation for Contractual medical officers appointed during the COVID period; additional weightage of marks in NPSC-conducted examinations for relevant Contractual service rendered during the pandemic; and preference clauses strictly within the framework of competitive selection, applicable uniformly and transparently,
“These measures would ensure that the extraordinary service rendered during the pandemic is duly acknowledged; merit-based competition is preserved; equal opportunity principles remain intact; and statutory institutions like the NPSC are strengthened rather than bypassed.
In the interest of fairness, transparency, and institutional integrity, the NMSA urged the Government to ensure strict adherence to NPSC-based recruitment for all future Class I Gazetted medical posts; adopt compensatory measures such as age relaxation and service weightage rather than Direct Regularization; clearly define exceptional circumstances to prevent Regularization from becoming a substitute for competitive selection; and uphold and strengthen the Nagaland Health Service Rules, 2006, through consistent and uniform application.
The Association hoped that future recruitment policies, across all departments and services, would reflect fairness, gratitude, merit, and institutional integrity in equal measure, thereby safeguarding the interests of future aspirants as well as the credibility of public institutions.
