Nagaland Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen says government jobs will remain limited as a state survey shows over 71,000 job seekers and low skill levels among youth.
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KOBULONG — Chief Secretary of Nagaland Sentiyanger Imchen on Thursday said the state government does not have the capacity to create a large number of additional job vacancies, warning that employment opportunities in the government sector will remain limited, with only a small number of posts opening up each year.
Speaking as the chief guest at the 44th General Conference of the Asetkong Kaketshir Telongjem Mungdang (AKTM) at Kobulong, Imchen cited findings from the State Employment and Unemployment Survey 2025 to underline the scale of the challenge.
According to the survey, Nagaland currently has more than 71,000 registered job seekers, while around 92 per cent of the state’s youth lack any form of technical or vocational training.
Imchen said that while government jobs continue to attract a large number of applicants, the state’s capacity to absorb the growing workforce is limited. He noted that the private sector generally offers better salaries than government employment, but stressed that academic degrees alone are no longer sufficient to secure jobs in an increasingly competitive labour market.
He urged students and young people to supplement formal education with practical technical and vocational skills, which he described as essential in the present context. While acknowledging the importance of preparing for competitive examinations, he cautioned the youth against relying solely on the prospect of securing white-collar government jobs and advised them to prepare alternative career paths.
Speaking from a Naga perspective, the chief secretary said that almost every Naga household owns land, often endowed with natural resources, fertile soil or rich biodiversity. Despite this, he said, Nagaland remains heavily dependent on central government funds when compared to other states.
He challenged the delegates to introspect on the reasons for this dependence, asking whether the constraint lay with the land or with the people themselves.
Recalling the self-reliant nature of Naga forefathers, Imchen said rediscovering that spirit has become critically important in the current situation.
Achieving self-reliance, he added, would reduce the state’s dependence on central grants and lower the heavy import of goods and commodities.
Describing youth unemployment as the single biggest challenge facing Nagaland, Imchen said the problem cannot be solved by the government alone.
“This problem can only be resolved through genuine self-reliance,” he said, adding that meaningful change must be driven by the people, with the government playing only a supportive role.
He called upon the youth to take ownership of the issue, saying transformation begins at the individual level and extends to the family, church, village and tribe.
The session also featured a keynote address by Amba Jamir, Policy and Development Strategist, based on the theme of the conference. Short speeches were delivered by Asetkong Mungdang president T Imlitoshi Walling and EAC Omajen Ozukum.