Kohima: Nagaland’s Minister for Higher Education and Tourism, Temjen Imna Along, has stated that the contentious issues of 33% reservation for women in urban local bodies and the reduction of viva-voce marks in Grade-IV employee recruitment require further discussions and discourse.
The state’s chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, and the cabinet want to be inclusive in the decision for ULB elections but require more time to discuss the matter with Naga civil societies and NGOs, ensuring that urban local bodies are established in the traditional Naga context.
Temjen Imna Along made this announcement on Wednesday while participating in ‘KAM,’ an initiative to clean Kisama Naga Heritage Village, the beautiful venue for the annual Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.
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Regarding the recent Supreme Court notification, which charged the state government with “contempt of court” for deciding not to hold the proposed May 16 ULB elections with 33% women’s reservation, Along clarified that the government wanted to be inclusive in the decision for the ULB elections.
He emphasized that the state government needed more time to contemplate and discuss further with civil societies and NGOs to ensure that ULBs could become a reality in the traditional Naga context, taking into account the various tribal hohos and apex bodies involved.
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Regarding the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) demand for a reduction of the viva-voce component in the combined staff recruitment exam 2022 from 12.5% to 5%, the minister stated that the government was willing to reconsider the matter.