Supreme Court stays Nagaland's 46 Excise constable recruitment, orders status quo pending challenge to Gauhati High Court judgment until August
DIMAPUR — The Supreme Court has stayed further proceedings in the recruitment of 46 Excise constables in Nagaland, putting on hold a Gauhati High Court order that had allowed the state government to complete the selection process.
A Bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Sheel Nagu, while hearing a Special Leave Petition (Civil) filed by T Akon Phom and others, on July 7 issued notice to the State of Nagaland and directed that status quo, as existing on July 7, be maintained "in all respects" until the next hearing. The matter has been listed for August 31.
The petition challenges the June 23 judgement of a Division Bench of the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court, which had set aside an earlier Single Judge verdict and restored the recruitment process for the 46 Excise constable posts.
The recruitment process has remained embroiled in litigation since a corrigendum issued by the Excise department introduced a written examination after the recruitment exercise had already begun.
Related: HC allows Nagaland government to complete recruitment for 46 Excise Constables
The original advertisement, issued on April 7, 2025, was for 40 Excise constable posts and prescribed a physical test and viva voce as the selection process. An addendum later increased the vacancies to 46. Subsequently, the Departmental Recruitment Board introduced a written test through a corrigendum, prompting a group of candidates to challenge the move, arguing that the recruitment rules had been altered midway without government approval.
In October 2025, the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court quashed the written test, holding that the department could not change the selection criteria after the recruitment process had commenced.
However, in June this year, a Division Bench allowed the state government's appeal, ruling that the Departmental Recruitment Board had the authority to conduct a competitive examination and permitting the recruitment process to proceed.
The Supreme Court's interim order now effectively pauses any further action in the recruitment until further directions.