Kohima, Sept 21: The Five Tribes Committee on Review of Reservation Policy has urged the Nagaland government to scrap or revamp the state’s Job Reservation Policy for Backward Tribes, citing unresolved issues and potential economic imbalance.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio yesterday, the committee pointed out that the 47-year-old policy has never been reviewed despite a stipulated 10-year review period.
The policy, initially implemented in 1977, was continued indefinitely in 1989 without addressing core issues, including:
The committee comprised representatives from the Ao, Angami, Sema, Lotha, and Rengma tribes.
They warned that the indefinite reservation system poses a serious risk of economic imbalance and discrimination.
The committee sought exclusive reservation for the five tribes or a comprehensive review to address:
– Duration of reservation
– Internal reservation
– Flexible options for backward tribes
– Creamy layers
– Discrepancies in entry age
– Backlog reserved posts