Kohima: In a stern warning to the Nagaland government, the Nagaland RMSA 2016 Batch Teachers Association (NRMSATA-2016) has set an August 25 deadline to implement the Supreme Court’s directives concerning their service benefits and pay. Should the state fail to act, the 610 teachers, who have been serving diligently for nearly a decade, will commence a pen-down strike from August 26, the association announced at a press conference here. This latest move stems from what the teachers describe as a “deeply disappointing” silence from the government, despite a clear judicial order.
The Supreme Court, on May 20, 2025, had upheld the Gauhati High Court’s order from March 16, 2022, which mandated that the 2016 batch of RMSA teachers be granted the regular scale pay of Rs 9,300–34,800 with a grade pay of Rs 4,200, along with annual increments. The teachers pointed out the apparent discrimination, noting that earlier batches of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) teachers (2010–2013) were already regularised and granted the same scale pay.
Recruited through a rigorous process of written and viva examinations with their posts duly created and approved by various government departments in 2015, the teachers were surprised to receive fixed-pay appointments of Rs 31,015 in February 2016, a move for which the government has provided no official justification. The association also claimed that their salaries have not been disbursed since April 2025, even as they continue to perform their duties without fail.
In their ultimatum, submitted to the State Mission Director, Samagra Shiksha on August 13, the association demanded the immediate implementation of the ROP 2017 scale pay on par with their peers from the 2010-13 batches, the reckoning of their salaries and service benefits from their date of appointment in 2016, and the immediate clearance of all outstanding arrears. “Continued non-compliance with judicial orders amounts to contempt of court and reflects an absolute disregard for the dignity and rights of teachers who have faithfully served the state,” the association stated. NRMSATA-2016 president Imlitemjen, advisor Vinoto Achumi and spokesperson Renbemo L. Patton were among those present at the press conference, underscoring the seriousness of their demands and their resolve to launch a democratic agitation, including peaceful protests and media engagement, if the government fails to respond positively to their plea.
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