RMSA teachers urge Nagaland government to implement court-ordered pay scale

Teachers recruited under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in 2016 on Monday, June 15, urged the Nagaland government to implement a court-directed pay scale, alleging that the administration had failed to comply with the judgment despite exhausting all legal remedies.

Addressing a press conference in Kohima, RMSA Teachers 2016 batch spokesperson Renbemo L. Patton said the teachers had secured a favourable judgment from the Gauhati High Court's Kohima Bench on March 16, 2022, directing the government to grant them a pay scale of Rs 9,300-34,800 with a grade pay of Rs 4,200.

According to the teachers, the State government subsequently challenged the judgment before the Supreme Court through a Special Leave Petition (SLP), which was dismissed on May 22, 2025. A review petition filed thereafter was also dismissed on January 15 this year.

Patton said the teachers had suspended a three-week agitation last year after receiving a written assurance from the government that the pay scale would be implemented once the review petition was disposed of.

“More than five months have passed since the dismissal of the review petition, but the government has still not complied with the court's directive,” he said.

The teachers alleged that although the Advocate General had reportedly advised that all legal remedies had been exhausted and that the State was required to comply with the judgment, the matter had once again been referred to the Cabinet.

RMSA Teachers 2016 batch president Imlitemjen said both the High Court and the Supreme Court had upheld the teachers' claim and urged the government to implement the order without further delay.

He said the departments concerned, including the Finance Department and the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (P&AR), had reportedly given their concurrence before the matter was forwarded to the Cabinet.

The teachers claimed that despite discussions in two Cabinet meetings, no decision on implementation had been communicated to them.

They also alleged that salaries for the past two months had not been released.

While refraining from announcing any immediate agitation, the teachers warned that continued delays could affect the academic environment, particularly with the first phase examinations for Classes VIII and IX scheduled to begin on June 24.

The teachers appealed to the government to honour the court's judgment and resolve what they described as a long-pending grievance.