In Nagaland, government employees affiliated with the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) have decided to persist with their ‘pen down’ strike. This decision follows an unproductive meeting with a state cabinet sub-committee aimed at resolving the contentious issue of inducting non-State Civil Service (SCS) officers into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre.
The JCC, which represents five major service associations including the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees Association, the Federation of Nagaland State Engineers Service Association, the Nagaland In-Service Doctors’ Association, the Nagaland Secretariat Service Association, and the Nagaland Forest Service Association, has been vocal about its concerns. The state government had formed the cabinet sub-committee on October 16 to address these issues through deliberations with the associations.
According to a circular issued by the JCC, their representatives presented their demands and concerns regarding the IAS induction process during a meeting with the chief secretary’s office. However, the cabinet sub-committee’s inability to meet these demands led to the decision to escalate the matter to the state cabinet for a final decision.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome, the JCC stated that the meeting yielded no satisfactory resolution. Consequently, the strike will remain in effect indefinitely, or until the government addresses their grievances. All previously implemented strike measures will continue to be enforced.
The JCC has urged all departments and service associations to maintain solidarity and follow the strike’s directives while awaiting the state cabinet’s conclusive decision. The core of the ongoing protest lies in the state government’s proposal to induct non-SCS officers into the IAS cadre from Nagaland. The JCC argues that this move involves procedural irregularities and violates established IAS Regulations.
The controversy intensified following a government spokesperson’s remark characterizing the situation as a “bureaucratic procedural lapse.” The JCC strongly refuted this, insisting that the matter involves significant administrative and legal irregularities, not just minor procedural errors. This ‘pen down’ strike represents the third phase of protest, following earlier actions like a black badge campaign and poster demonstrations.
The JCC remains firm in its stance, vowing to continue the agitation until the government rectifies what it deems a “gross injustice” in the IAS induction process.