Kohima, July 13 (EMN): Eight toppers of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations who hail from the Ao Naga community were given recognition with the 13th NI Jamir Academic Excellence Award 2019 on Saturday in Kohima.
The programme was conducted under the aegis of the Kohima Ongpangkong Telongjem.
Bendangkokba, principal secretary of the Rural Development department, handed a citation along with INR 10,000 each to the eight recipients.
The recipients of the award are Wangshitemjen Ozukum (Mongsenyimti)-first rank; Yangernaro Jamir (Sungratsu) and Imlisungla Pongen (Longmisa) - both ranked 14th; Akumwapang (Longkhum), Sashitsungla Jamir (Mongsenyimti), and Mechachung (Khar) - ranked 16th; Imkongsangla Longkumer (Akhoya) – ranked 17th; and Imsiirenla Longkumner (Merangkong) – ranked 19th.
NI Jamir, son of Noklenlemba was born in the year 1916 in the village of Longsa in Mokokchung district. He started his school studies at Longsa village and graduated from class-6 at Impur, and graduating from matriculation from Jorhat Mission School.
Jamir continued his studies in Calcutta (Kolkata) at the Scottish Church College.
During the Second World War when the Japanese soldiers started bombing in Calcutta, the college had to be shut. He returned to his native village.
In 1946, the Ongpangkong Tziikong started a middle school in Mokokchung. There, he served as the first headmaster in the school. After that, he continued to pursue higher studies at Cotton College at Guwahati in 1949. He became the first graduate among the Ongpangkong community.
After graduation, Jamir continued teaching and was appointed a school inspector by the government. While working in said position, he opened schools in the districts of Zunheboto, Wokha and Tuensang areas. He was taken into the administration. In 1956, he was appointed an assistant political officer and first posted at Noksen and Longleng.
Jamir served in the stated areas for seven years. After the statehood of Nagaland, he served in the Nagaland civil services and became the first deputy commissioner of Mokokchung from among the Ao Naga tribe after which he became the first Indian Administrative Services officer from Tziikong. He worked in the Nagaland government until his retirement from office in 1980.
After his retirement, Jamir joined politics. While serving as a minister, NI Jamir passed away in 1996.
On August 2 in 1972, the first Kohima Ongpangkong Tziikong Telongjem was formed at NI Jamir’s residence. In the year 1997, the organisation celebrated its silver jubilee.
NI Jamir could not be a part of the jubilee but due to his contribution, the jubilee organisers decided to have a ‘Trust’ in his honour.
As decided by the Trust Board of Governors, Ongpangkong Tziikong’s top-10 HSLC achievers have been awarded INR 10,000 along with citations since 2007.
On June 28 2018, the NI Jamir Trust Board of Governors decided that from the year 2014 any Ao student who secures a rank in the top-20 position in the HSLC examinations conducted by the Nagaland Board of School Education will be given the award. It was declared so during the NI Jamir Academic Excellence Award programme in 2013.
A total of 55 students from the Ao community have received the award since its inception.
