The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Tuesday held an emergency protest outside the Directorate of Technical Education in Kohima, objecting to the inclusion of non-indigenous candidates under the Nagaland State Quota for NEET 2025 admissions.

The Federation asserted that the State Quota is strictly and exclusively reserved for indigenous Naga candidates, as per existing government policies and constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes. Allowing ineligible candidates, NSF warned, would deprive deserving indigenous Naga students of their rightful opportunities, set a dangerous precedent for misuse of temporary postings and affiliations, and undermine the very spirit of the policy and intent of the State Quota policy.

The protest began with a march from NSF Oking at Naga Solidarity Park to the Directorate, where a short programme was held. Volunteers from federating units, subordinate bodies, and students from various institutions participated.

In his address, Temjentoshi, Secretary, Education, NSF expressed resentment against outsiders who are “trying to deprive indigenous people of their rightful reserved seats,” stressing that such acts undermine the purpose of the State Quota.

NSF President, Medovi Rhi, highlighted the controversy surrounding the candidature of Vatsala Panghal into State Quota for NEET 2025. “It is our future, our land, and our right. We cannot allow someone to decide for our future,” he said.

He said that the Court has given two-week stay order, however, they cannot play with the future of Nagas. He also urged the students’ community and public to voice out and fight together for this cause.

Rhi warned that the Federation will take its own course of action and intensify its agitation if the seat is allotted to a non-indigenous candidate.

Representing Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA), Senchumbemo said that the right to opportunity of NMSA is at risk. He said Nagaland already lags behind in medical education and with only a handful of central seats available every year, “it is unfair that they are given to non-Nagas”.

“It is reserved for Nagas and it should be for Nagas, “ he stressed.

The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) earlier in a press release also has stated that NSF as the apex students’ body of the Nagas, is duty-bound to safeguard the rights, privileges, and opportunities meant for the indigenous people of Nagaland.

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The NSF had written over a matter of serious concern regarding the candidature of Vatsala Panghal under the Nagaland State Quota for NEET 2025 admissions.

NSF had mentioned that while the candidate has listed an address in Kohima owing to her father’s current posting, it is an established fact that her domicile and state belonging is Haryana. She is not indigenous to Nagaland and does not belong to any recognized Scheduled Tribe of the State. The State Quota for professional courses is exclusively reserved for candidates who are Nagas by blood and indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, as mandated under existing policies and in keeping with the constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes in the State.

The NSF has consistently opposed and prevented instances where non-indigenous individuals attempt to claim these limited and highly competitive seats through temporary postings, forged affiliations, or misinterpretations of eligibility. Allowing such ineligible candidature would set a dangerous precedent, depriving deserving indigenous Naga students of their rightful opportunities and eroding the very essence of the State Quota policy, it stated.

NSF had also stated that the NSF has initiated a physical verification of documents for all State Quota candidates at NSF Office in Kohima this August 2025, under the supervision of the Education Committee. This process included mandatory scrutiny of Scheduled Tribe Certificates and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates to ensure complete compliance. Any candidate failing to prove their eligibility beyond doubt must be declared ineligible immediately, it said.

In light of the above, the NSF urged to disqualify Vatsala Panghal from consideration under the Nagaland State Quota for NEET 2025 and direct the concerned authorities to tighten verification processes to prevent future attempts by non-indigenous candidates.