The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench has barred further extensions of contractual Assistant Professors’ services in Nagaland’s 15 Government colleges and directed the State to create adequate regular posts and fill vacancies through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). In a judgment delivered on September 23, a Division Bench of Justices Devashis Baruah and Helen Daungliani held that the original appointments and repeated annual extensions violated Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and equality of opportunity in public employment. The Bench also found violations of Regulation 13 of the University Grants Commission Regulations.
The court set aside two Single Bench judgments delivered on November 12, 2025, which had dismissed challenges to the appointments on the ground of locus standi, meaning the petitioners lacked the legal standing to bring the case. It said the petitions concerned alleged backdoor appointments and their continuation through successive extensions, not merely individual extension orders. “No further extension shall be granted to their contractual services,” the Bench ordered.
The court left the latest extensions intact to avoid disrupting teaching or worsening the teacher-student ratio. However, it directed strict action against any head of department who grants a further extension in defiance of the order. The Nagaland Government was also instructed to take effective steps to create sufficient posts in the 15 colleges. Regular vacancies must be advertised and filled through the NPSC. If financial constraints prevent the creation of posts, contractual recruitment may continue only in strict compliance with Regulation 13.1, including prior advertisement.
The Bench noted that Regulation 13.1 permits contractual appointments only when absolutely necessary to address student-teacher ratio deficiencies and limits them to 10% of total faculty positions. At the time of the judgment, 145 of 636 Assistant Professors-about 23%—were serving on contract. The court also noted that 32 had initially been appointed without the required minimum qualifications, received less than one-third of the gross salary prescribed for a regularly appointed Assistant Professor, and had their contracts renewed annually rather than according to the academic-session framework.
The litigation began with a 2015 public interest challenge by civil society group Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation, while the Nagaland NET Qualified Forum and qualified candidates later challenged the appointment of 208 Assistant Professors on contract. The Bench did not decide whether the contractual appointees are entitled to regularisation, leaving that question open in light of the Supreme Court’s Umadevi judgment.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/no-further-extensions-for-nagaland-contractual-assistant-professors-hc-directs
Category: Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2026-09-28 23:15:00
