The agitation by the All Nagaland Adhoc Teachers Group (ANATG) 2015 Batch as hundreds of teachers staged a demonstration in Kohima, demanding immediate regularisation of their services after years of waiting. The protest comes amid growing frustration among the teachers, who say that repeated assurances by the government have not resulted in any concrete outcome.
Members of the ANATG said they identify themselves as the “2015 batch” because that was the year when 1,166 ad hoc teachers became eligible for regularisation. Despite completing the required years of service and fulfilling the eligibility conditions, they claim their cases remain unresolved even after nearly a decade and a half.
Addressing the media during the protest, ANATG core committee member Lhovito Sheqi said the teachers had been staging demonstrations in the state capital for the past three days. The agitation began on February 4 with a silent sit-in at NSF Solidarity Park, where the teachers held internal discussions and a general meeting to decide the future course of action. According to him, the protest was organised peacefully, with the intention of drawing the government’s attention to the long-pending issue.
He said the group held two rounds of discussions with officials of the School Education Department on February 4 and 5. The teachers also met the chairman of the Screening Committee for regularisation on Thursday. However, none of the meetings produced a positive result, which led the group to intensify its protest activities.
Following joint deliberations, the teachers carried out a peaceful procession from NSF Solidarity Park to the Secretariat junction. During the protest, a brief incident of unrest occurred, which Sheqi attributed to the frustration of members who have been waiting for regularisation for nearly 14 to 15 years. He said the situation was quickly brought under control with the intervention of the police, the district administration, and leaders of the ANATG, ensuring that the protest remained largely peaceful.
Explaining the background of the issue, Sheqi recalled that the ANATG 2015 batch had previously staged protests in 2018 and again in 2022 after their demands remained unresolved. In 2022, an agreement was reportedly reached between the Nagaland government and the teachers’ group. As per the agreement, a High-Powered Committee was to be constituted within 15 days, submit its recommendations within six months, and ensure that the issue was resolved by December 2023. However, the teachers claim that even by 2025, the matter had not been settled, forcing them to resume their agitation.
Sheqi said the teachers returned to the streets only after exhausting all other options. He stressed that the movement has always been peaceful and that the members are not interested in confrontation. According to him, on Friday morning the group planned to hold another silent sit-in and submit a memorandum through a core committee of district leaders, but they were allegedly prevented from entering the Secretariat to submit the document.
“We requested permission to enter and submit the letter, but even that was denied,” he said, adding that the group is still open to dialogue if the government comes forward with a constructive proposal to resolve the issue.
He also addressed questions regarding procedural delays in the regularisation process. According to him, the teachers had already appeared for suitability tests as required by government rules. Their documents were verified, and they were placed on scale pay following the 2017 suitability test, after protests in 2018. He further stated that the government had acknowledged that the Office Memorandum issued in 2024 was based on the process initiated by the High-Powered Committee. While several departments have reportedly regularised ad hoc employees under similar provisions, the teachers claim that their cases continue to remain pending.
The ANATG leader said the School Education Department has informed the group that all required documents have already been forwarded to the Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department. However, repeated requests for additional documents at different stages have created delays, leading to what he described as a “blame game” between departments, with no final decision being taken.
