DIMAPUR — The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has expressed solidarity with the aspirants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in their demand for age relaxation for entry into government services.
“We fully support their demand for a more inclusive and equitable approach to address the challenges posed by the pandemic,” stated a press release issued by DNSU.
The DNSU claimed that the one-time age relaxation order (No.AR-5/ASSO/98 (Vol-1) Dt. 28-02-2022) was biased as it has benefited only a certain age group, who were on the verge of being overaged.
“This has resulted in an unfair disadvantage to many aspirants, who have lost two years of attempts due to the non-conduct of examinations during the pandemic,” the statement read.
In this regard, DNSU has demanded age relaxation up to 37 years for all entries into government services; extension of age relaxation to all aspirants, regardless of their age group in alignment with other states’ age relaxation policies such as Maharashtra, Sikaii, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Manipur.
With few months left for the notification of NPSC and NSSB exams, DNSU has appealed to the state government to deliver justice to the affected groups at the earliest, taking into consideration the plight of thousands of aspirants.
DNSU also urged the Government of Nagaland to consider the aspirants’ supplication and take immediate action to address their concerns.
“We believe that a fair age relaxation policy will go a long way in mitigating the impact of the pandemic on our students and youth. We request the government to prioritise the welfare and future of our young people and take a compassionate approach to this issue,” it added.