Dimapur Naga Students’ Union urges early resolution of pen-down strike

DIMAPUR — The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has appealed for an early resolution to the ongoing pen-down strike called by the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees’ Association (CANSSEA) and allied service associations over the IAS induction issue.

While acknowledging the genuine concerns raised by the state service employees, the union expressed apprehension over the disruption caused to the general public due to the halt in normal government functioning.

In a press statement, the DNSU stated that essential services and administrative works have been affected, resulting in inconvenience to students, citizens, and the public at large.

Also read: Nagaland government defends IAS induction process, calls on JCC to end agitation

The union has urged the government of Nagaland and the concerned associations to engage in constructive dialogue to arrive at an amicable solution at the earliest. It emphasised that open communication and mutual understanding are vital to resolving differences and restoring normalcy in public service.

The DNSU further reminded all stakeholders that the welfare of the people must remain central to every decision and action, expressing hope that the matter would be resolved peacefully and in the true spirit of cooperation and public responsibility.

All India Anti-Corruption Organisation proposes reforms

In a related development, the All India Anti-Corruption Organisation Nagaland has urged citizens to initiate an alternative movement.

The organisation outlined a six-point action plan, beginning with a public awareness and advocacy movement, calling for a citizens’ campaign demanding accountability in IAS appointments.

It recommended using the Right to Information (RTI) Act to expose irregular recruitments and suggested forming coalitions of civil society groups, retired bureaucrats, and students to push for reforms. It also proposed launching digital awareness drives under slogans such as “Merit first, not backdoor” and “Save civil services integrity”.

Under Judicial and Legal Remedies, the group encouraged filing public interest litigations (PILs) in the Supreme Court or High Court to challenge irregular appointments and seek judicial directions to ensure recruitment through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) or other transparent merit-based processes. It also called for audits of lateral or special appointments and urged the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and UPSC to publish annual transparency reports.

For legislative and institutional reform, it proposed pressuring parliament and state assemblies to amend service rules limiting executive discretion in appointments and to advocate for the creation of a Civil Services Appointments Commission (CSAC) with statutory powers to protect the UPSC’s primacy in administrative recruitment.

The organisation also called for internal bureaucratic reform, urging IAS associations and senior officers to defend merit-based service integrity and insist that all recruitments undergo objective evaluation.

If reform efforts fail, it suggested alternative administrative arrangements, such as establishing new professional services like the Indian Policy Service or Indian Development Service to absorb meritorious officers through fair competition. It further recommended strengthening state civil services and ensuring fair promotions to reduce the dominance of irregular entries.

The final component, academic and youth mobilisation, urged students, UPSC aspirants, and academic institutions to engage in debates, publish policy papers, and write opinion pieces to shape informed public discourse on the issue.

The organisation stated that the movement aims to uphold the Naga people’s right to a “peaceful and constitutional, not confrontational” approach that is “evidence-based” and “inclusive”, involving citizens, bureaucrats, and experts.