NSF issues ultimatum to Nagaland government demanding rollback of Covid-era medical officers’ regularisation, citing constitutional violations and recruitment rules.
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DIMAPUR — The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Saturday issued an ultimatum to Nagaland government, demanding immediate withdrawal of the decision to regularise medical officers appointed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a representation addressed to the chief secretary, the NSF described the government’s move as arbitrary, unconstitutional and a violation of recruitment rules.
It criticised the government for ignoring repeated objections and representations against the regularisation of contractual health workers engaged during the pandemic.
The federation expressed serious concern over the notification dated December 16, 2025, through which the department Health and Family Welfare regularised the services of 97 medical officers engaged during the Covid-19 period.
The NSF stated that the move followed an earlier notification issued in August this year that sought to regularise 280 contractual health workers, including 97 medical officers and junior specialists, through a departmental screening process.
Related: Nagaland regularises 97 Covid-era medical officers
It maintained that recruitment to Class-I gazetted posts, including medical officers, must be carried out strictly through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) as mandated under the Nagaland Health Service Rules, 2006, and that bypassing the NPSC violates the constitutional principle of equal opportunity in public employment.
Highlighting disparities in recruitment, the federation pointed out that only 61 medical officers were recruited through the NPSC between 2015 and 2024, despite Nagaland producing over 150 MBBS graduates annually.
It stated that the regularisation of 97 doctors in one stroke deprived thousands of qualified aspirants of a fair chance through open competition.
While acknowledging the contribution of healthcare workers during the pandemic, the NSF stressed that their appointments were made on purely temporary terms, with clear conditions that such engagements would not confer any right to regularisation. Converting emergency appointments into permanent posts, it said, amounted to legitimising backdoor entry into government service.
As part of its ultimatum, the NSF demanded immediate revocation of all notifications related to the regularisation of Covid-era appointees,
requisitioning of all 280 posts to the NPSC and Nagaland Staff Selection Board for open recruitment within 45 days, and implementation of one-time age relaxation and grace marks for Covid appointees strictly through competitive examinations.
Warning of escalation, the federation said failure to comply would compel it to launch strong democratic protests, holding the government fully responsible for the consequences.