Kohima: The Nagaland government has decided to revert 33 teachers to their original postings in the state’s eastern districts following disruptions caused by the Eastern Nagaland Students Federation (ENSF) agitation, official sources said on Thursday.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting chaired by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday.
Legislators from the eastern districts, including ministers C L John and P Paiwang Konyak, Advisors Wangpang Konyak and Dr Kekhrielhoulie Yhome, Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha, and senior officials from the School Education Department attended the meeting.
The ENSF had launched an agitation on Monday, closing government schools and offices in Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak, and Shamator districts.
The protest highlighted critical teacher shortages caused by the state’s rationalisation policy, which transferred several teachers out of the eastern districts without providing replacements.
According to the School Education Department, the eastern districts have 606 government schools, 45,174 students, and 4,733 teachers, resulting in a pupil-teacher ratio of 10:1 as per UDISE 2024-25 data. Officials noted that the rationalisation policy, approved by the Cabinet in August 2025, aimed to optimise teacher deployment but unintentionally worsened staff deficits in the region.
After deliberations, the government decided to reinstate 33 teachers who had been transferred out and to identify and transfer subject teachers in Hindi, Maths, Science, and other critical areas back to the eastern districts.
Newly recruited Maths and Science teachers will also be directly posted to these schools. Vacant posts may be converted to key subject positions, with recruitment carried out through open advertisement to attract qualified candidates.
As a temporary measure, the department will explore community engagement of teachers until permanent staffing solutions are in place. Officials also said elected representatives and district administration would be consulted for a more locally sensitive rationalisation policy.
Following the government’s announcement, the ENSF, which had threatened to intensify the protest, agreed to put the agitation on hold and attend discussions scheduled for September 20.