KOHIMA, Aug 20: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) on Monday staged an emergency protest at NSF Park and later marched to the Directorate of Technical Education, opposing the candidature of a non-indigenous applicant under the Nagaland State Quota for NEET 2025 admissions.
NSF president Medovi Rhi raised strong objections to the candidature of one Vatsala Panghal, who has reportedly taken the State government to court. Expressing disappointment, Rhi said the case exposed the limitations of Article 371 in safeguarding Naga rights. “It is our right and responsibility to fight for our future. We cannot allow others to decide it for us,” he asserted.
Earlier in the day, the court had granted a two-week stay order, which Rhi described as a “joke” that jeopardised the future of Naga students. He warned that NSF would closely monitor developments and, if the government failed to protect indigenous rights, the federation would intensify its agitation.
NSF education secretary Temjentoshi also criticised attempts by “outsiders” to undermine the principle of the State Quota policy, while the Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) voiced concern that such cases endangered opportunities reserved for indigenous candidates.
NMSA representative Senchumbemo stressed that Nagaland already lagged in medical education and received very limited central seats. “Even one cannot be given away to non-Nagas. It is reserved for Nagas and should remain so,” he said, demanding that the candidate be disqualified and stricter verification mechanisms put in place.
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Reiterating its stand through a press release, NSF reminded that State Quota seats are exclusively reserved for Nagas by blood and indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, as enshrined under existing policies and constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes. It alleged that Panghal’s domicile was Haryana, and though she had listed a Kohima address due to her father’s posting, she was neither indigenous to Nagaland nor a member of any recognised Scheduled Tribe of the State.
The federation maintained that it was duty-bound, as the apex student body, to safeguard the rights, privileges, and opportunities of the indigenous people of Nagaland.
