Dimapur, July 3 (EMN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has urged the chief secretary of Nagaland to ‘rectify’ what it stated was ‘anomalies’ in a recent notification that was issued by the state’s department of Technical Education.
The NTC stated in a letter to the chief secretary that it was ‘disturbed’ by a notification which had ‘classified candidates for JEE (main) 2018/CSAB NEUT-2018 into four categories whereby 10 ethnic groups were placed in category-I and another 10 ethnic groups into category-II.’
“The list goes on to 4 broad categories. Special emphasis was also made for Rongmei tribe (recognized) in to category-I and Rongmei (de-recognised) into category-III (ST). The NTC is aware of 14 Naga tribes and 2 non-Naga tribes in Nagaland where classifications were made for Advance and Backward tribes. The remaining ethnic groups or inhabitants who are qualified by the criteria lay down (sic) in the notification No. AR-8/8/76 dated 28th of April, 1977 is classified as indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland.
“There are established laws to determine citizenship status, recognition of tribes and reservation policy in the state and respective departments can frame rules or guidelines as per the law of the land. The above mentioned notification issued by the department of Technical Education in which major modifications were made at his own will is detrimental to the interest of the indigenous Naga tribes of Nagaland. If the present rules and guidelines are allowed without rectifications and JEE is conducted on the basis of such rules, it will create bad precedence putting the future of our children in jeopardy,” it stated.
