Nagaland Government temporarily suspends police recruitment for 4 non-Naga tribes pending enumeration verification

The Government of Nagaland has temporarily suspended the recruitment process for police constable posts reserved for the four non-Naga Scheduled Tribes, Garos, Kacharis, Mikirs (Karbis), and Kukis — until the completion of an Enumeration Exercise aimed at verifying their status as Indigenous Inhabitants of the State.

According to the Home Department, the decision aligns with the provisions of the Constitution (Nagaland) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1970, which recognizes these four Non-Naga groups as Scheduled Tribes of Nagaland, provided they were residents of the State before its creation on December 1, 1963. The order acknowledges the presence of these communities as inhabitants of the region prior to Nagaland attaining statehood.

The Department clarified that members of these four tribes and their direct descendants are entitled to receive Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates (IIC), which grant access to government employment and other privileges reserved for Indigenous Inhabitants. However, this entitlement is valid only for those who had settled within Nagaland’s boundaries prior to 1963.

Citing concerns over possible post-statehood migration from neighboring North Eastern States, the Department noted that some individuals might have wrongly obtained ST and IIC certificates. To address these discrepancies, the Government had earlier announced an Enumeration Exercise to verify and identify genuine members of the four Non-Naga tribes who had settled in Nagaland before statehood.

This exercise, formalized through Home Department Order No. CON/RIIN/50/2020 dated September 20, 2024, was based on recommendations from the RIIN (Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland) Commission. However, following a writ petition filed before the Gauhati High Court by organizations representing the four Non-Naga tribes, the court issued a stay order on the exercise, leaving the matter sub judice.

The Home Department emphasized that the enumeration process is vital to ensure fairness and authenticity in identifying genuine Indigenous Inhabitants among the Kuki, Kachari, Garo, and Mikhir communities, particularly for eligibility in State Government employment.

In view of the ongoing legal proceedings, the Government has decided that the current police constable recruitment — open to all Indigenous Inhabitants — will proceed only with 1,176 posts reserved for Indigenous Naga Tribes. The 24 posts allocated to the four Non-Naga Tribes will remain on hold until the enumeration-related issues are resolved.