Nagaland students body opposes NEET 2025 state quota candidature of non-Indigenous candidate

The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has lodged a formal objection with the Government of Nagaland against the candidature of Vatsala Panghal for the NEET 2025 State Quota, alleging that she is not an indigenous inhabitant of the state and therefore ineligible for the reserved category.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, NSF President Medovi Rhi and Education Secretary Temjentoshi stated that Panghal, who scored 455 marks in NEET 2025 with an All India Rank of 113803 and secured the top spot in Category III of the state list, is originally from Haryana. 

The NSF said that although she has provided a Kohima address—linked to her father Colonel Lovelesh Panghal’s current posting as Commanding Officer of 1 Nagaland NB, NCC—her domicile is Haryana and she does not belong to any recognised Scheduled Tribe of Nagaland.

The federation stressed that the state quota for professional courses is meant exclusively for Nagas by blood and indigenous inhabitants, as per existing policies and constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes. 

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Allowing ineligible candidates, they warned, would deprive deserving indigenous students of opportunities and undermine the purpose of the quota system.

The NSF further revealed that it is conducting a physical verification of documents for all State Quota candidates this August under its Education Committee. 

This includes mandatory scrutiny of Scheduled Tribe Certificates and Indigenous Inhabitant Certificates. Any candidate unable to prove their eligibility beyond doubt will be declared ineligible, the federation said.

Urging immediate action, the NSF called upon the Chief Secretary to disqualify Panghal from the State Quota list and direct the concerned authorities to strengthen verification processes to prevent similar cases in the future. 

The federation maintained that safeguarding the educational rights of indigenous Nagas was its primary duty and demanded that the matter be treated with urgency.