Nagaland government defers police recruitment for four non-Naga tribes pending enumeration

DIMAPUR — The Government of Nagaland has put on hold the recruitment process for police constable posts reserved for four non-Naga tribes — Garos, Kacharis, Mikirs (Karbis) and Kukis — until the completion of an enumeration exercise to determine their eligibility as Indigenous Inhabitants of the state.

According to a statement from the Home Department, the Constitution (Nagaland) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1970, recognises these four non-Naga communities as Scheduled Tribes of Nagaland, provided they were residents of the State before its creation on December 1, 1963. Members of these tribes and their direct descendants are entitled to Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IIC), which grant access to state employment and other benefits.

However, the department noted that since these communities also reside in neighbouring north eastern states, instances of migration into Nagaland after statehood could not be ruled out. It stated that some individuals might have been wrongly issued ST and IIC certificates, making verification necessary to identify those who genuinely settled in Nagaland prior to 1963 and their direct descendants.

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To address the issue, the government decided to conduct an enumeration exercise of the four non-Naga tribes, following detailed consultations and review of the findings of the RIIN Commission. The decision was notified through Home Department Order No. CON/RIIN/50/2020 dated September 20, 2024.

Subsequently, a writ petition was filed in the Gauhati High Court by organisations representing the four tribes, leading to a stay order on the enumeration exercise. With the matter now sub judice, the Government stated that the proposed exercise remains crucial to determine genuine Indigenous Inhabitants entitled to IICs and related rights, particularly in the context of state government employment.