Kohima: The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench has ordered an end to contractual service extensions for Assistant Professors in 15 Nagaland government colleges. The Division Bench of Justice Devashis Baruah and Justice Helen Daungliani ruled on September 23 that current hiring practices violate Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The court set aside two November 12, 2025, judgments that previously dismissed petitions on technical grounds.
The court allowed the current annual extensions to remain to prevent immediate classroom disruption. However, the order is clear. "No further extension shall be granted to their contractual services," the judges wrote. Any official granting future extensions faces strict consequences.
The bench highlighted a systemic failure to follow UGC regulations. While the state claimed a need to meet student-teacher ratios, it failed to meet four other required conditions. Specifically, contractual appointments should not exceed 10 percent of faculty. Nagaland currently sits at 23 percent, with 145 of 636 professors working on contract. The court also noted that 32 of these educators lacked minimum qualifications at the time of their hiring.
State authorities must now create permanent posts and fill vacancies through the Nagaland Public Service Commission. If financial constraints force the state to use temporary staff, they must strictly follow UGC 2018 standards, which require open advertisements and full gross salaries. The court criticized the state for relying on technicalities to defend what it termed backdoor appointments. It is high time that the State of Nagaland should create posts.
Comments