Kohima: The All Nagaland College Students’ Union is demanding answers regarding the state's Grant-in-Aid distribution. Money is disappearing. Out of an annual provision of Rs 2.65 crore meant for private and theological colleges, the government only handed out Rs 1.215 crore during the 2025-26 fiscal year. That leaves 45 percent reaching the schools, while the Higher Education Department holds onto the remaining 54 percent for its own internal activities.
Private and theological institutions rely on this cash for survival. These schools often serve regions where government colleges are scarce. The Union argues the funds should pay for better classrooms, libraries, laboratories, and digital tools. They want the department to review its allocation and retention practices immediately. Transparency is the goal.
The Union insists the current pattern fails the students. They demand the money go where it belongs. As the ANCSU stated, “Strengthening the financial foundation of private and theological colleges and other eligible organisations is not merely an institutional requirement but an investment in the future of Nagaland’s higher education and its student community.” The group now waits for the State Government to take corrective action.
Updated at 19th August 2026 at 5:46am
The pressure comes directly from the top of the union. ANCSU president Kivika Yeptho and general secretary Sotilo Tep issued the demand, signaling that the student body is finished with the department's opaque handling of the cash. They pointed out that while the government claims to support these schools, the actual payout leaves thousands of students stuck in underfunded classrooms while the department keeps more than half the money on its own balance sheet.
The union also highlighted that these private and theological institutions are doing the heavy lifting for the state, training human resources and educating thousands of students despite being strapped for cash. They want a total overhaul of the current mechanism, demanding the department stop sitting on the funds and start putting the money into the hands of the schools that actually do the work.
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