Nagaland government files review petition in Supreme Court over RMSA 2016 salary case

The Nagaland School Education Department has issued a press release clarifying the long-standing matter concerning the RMSA Graduate Teachers of the 2016 batch, whose employment terms and pay scales have remained a contentious issue for nearly a decade.

According to the Department, the teachers were initially recruited in 2016 under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the then Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Recruitment was carried out through an open process by the Nagaland Education Mission Society (NEMS). Upon selection, the teachers were appointed on a contractual basis with a fixed salary of ₹31,315 per month, after signing affidavits acknowledging that their tenure was co-terminus with the scheme and subject to annual fund releases by the Centre.

In 2018, following the integration of RMSA, SSA and Teacher Education into the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the Ministry of Education reduced its salary support to ₹25,000 per month. Consequently, the salaries of the RMSA teachers were slashed. This led the aggrieved teachers to approach the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench. On May 20, 2020, the Court quashed the order reducing salaries but did not grant scale pay. Since then, the teachers have continued to receive the earlier fixed pay of ₹31,315 per month, with partial funding from the Centre and the shortfall covered by the State Government.

In 2022, the teachers again approached the Court, demanding a pay band of ₹9,300–34,800 with Grade Pay of ₹4,200. On March 16, 2022, the High Court directed the State to grant scale pay. The issue intensified as the funding pattern of the Centre changed, shifting from a 90:10 Centre-State ratio to 60:40, along with a 5% annual reduction in funding support. This has reduced Central assistance per teacher from ₹25,000 to ₹18,750 per month, significantly increasing the financial burden on Nagaland.

The State Government subsequently filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, which on May 20, 2025, upheld the High Court’s directive. A Review Petition was filed by the State on August 14, 2025.

To address the deadlock, a meeting was held on September 2 and 3, 2025, between government representatives and aggrieved teachers, urging them to resume classes while the Review Petition is under consideration. On September 11, 2025, a joint meeting chaired by the Commissioner & Secretary, School Education, along with representatives of the All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA), RMSA 2016 batch, and department officials, assured the teachers that the Government will abide by the Supreme Court’s final verdict.

The Department reiterated its request for teachers to resume their duties, emphasizing that the State remains committed to honouring the Court’s judgment once the Review Petition is disposed of.