The All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA) has announced that teachers across Nagaland will participate in a three-day Pen-Down Strike from October 14 to 16, 2025, to protest alleged irregularities in the recent IAS induction process. The strike comes in support of the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees’ Association (CANSSEA), which has been spearheading the movement demanding transparency and fairness in state service appointments. The decision to observe the statewide pen-down protest follows the growing discontent among employees after the IAS induction conducted on September 25, 2025, allegedly included non-NPSC (Nagaland Public Service Commission) candidates in the select list of Non-State Civil Service (Non-SCS) officers. The inclusion, according to CANSSEA and ANSTA, undermines the merit-based system that has long governed appointments and promotions in the state bureaucracy. In an official statement issued by the ANSTA headquarters, the association said it is standing firmly behind CANSSEA in demanding corrective action from the state government. The teachers’ body has directed all district units, zonal branches, and affiliated groups to strictly adhere to the strike call. During the three-day protest, both teaching and non-teaching staff in government schools across Nagaland will abstain from all official duties as a mark of protest.
The directive emphasizes that while normal teaching activities will remain suspended, members are expected to maintain discipline, decorum, and unity throughout the strike period. District-level office bearers have been asked to monitor the observance of the strike closely and report compliance to the ANSTA headquarters in Kohima. The call for a pen-down strike follows the larger agitation launched by CANSSEA, which represents employees from various state departments. The confederation has been pressing the government to fulfill two major demands — the withdrawal of Non-NPSC candidates from the IAS induction list and the restoration of the Vacancy Circular dated March 10, 2025. The circular, CANSSEA claims, was a crucial framework that ensured transparency and merit-based evaluation in the selection process for IAS induction from among state service officers. CANSSEA maintains that the recent IAS selection process has raised serious questions about procedural integrity. The organization alleges that the inclusion of candidates who were not recruited through the Nagaland Public Service Commission violates the spirit of fair competition and demoralizes deserving officers who have risen through the proper merit system. Speaking on the matter, a senior ANSTA office-bearer said, “We are not opposing individuals but the process. The inclusion of non-NPSC candidates in the IAS induction list undermines the credibility of the system. As teachers, we stand for merit, fairness, and justice — principles that must be upheld in every aspect of governance.”
The association clarified that the decision to participate in the pen-down strike was not taken lightly but is a necessary step to defend the integrity of Nagaland’s administrative machinery. “When due processes are ignored, it affects not just the employees but also the morale of every hardworking government servant who believes in honesty and dedication,” the statement added. ANSTA’s involvement in the strike adds significant weight to the ongoing protest since the association is one of the largest and most organized employee bodies in the state. With teachers forming a major segment of the government workforce, the strike is expected to impact academic activities across schools in both urban and rural areas. However, ANSTA has urged all members to ensure that the protest remains peaceful and orderly. The issue has already stirred widespread debate across the state. Civil society groups and retired officials have voiced concern over the alleged irregularities, calling for an independent review of the selection process. They argue that such discrepancies, if left unaddressed, could erode public confidence in the state’s recruitment systems.Meanwhile, the state government has yet to issue an official response to the latest round of protests. Sources indicate that the administration is reviewing the representations submitted by CANSSEA and has initiated internal consultations to assess the validity of the allegations. However, employee organizations maintain that until concrete steps are taken, the protest will continue as scheduled.
