Nagaland govt forms new commission to review reservation policy for jobs, education

Guwahati: The Nagaland government has formed a new Reservation Review Commission to examine how tribes are represented in public jobs and higher education.

This is the most significant effort in recent years to review rules on quotas and criteria for identifying backwardness.

A notification issued in Kohima on November 12 states that retired IAS officer R. Ramakrishnan will chair the commission.

Members will include senior officials from the Home, Law and Justice, Higher and Technical Education, and Personnel and Administrative Reforms departments.

The Home Department will provide logistical support, while the Finance Department will oversee the budget.

The commission has wide-ranging powers, including access to all government records it deems necessary.

It can summon officials or departments to provide information essential for its work.

The panel’s tasks include reviewing legal and constitutional provisions on reservations in India, evaluating economic and educational indicators used for eligibility, and assessing the impact of Nagaland’s current reservation policies on employment and professional course admissions.

The commission is also expected to consult with tribal groups, student organizations, employees’ associations, and other stakeholders to gather views on fair representation.

It will suggest criteria for tribes eligible for reservation, recommend the overall percentage and distribution, and determine the duration of these benefits.

Additionally, the commission will look into gaps in policy implementation and suggest technology-driven solutions to make the system efficient and error-free.

The commission has six months to submit its report. A separate notification will specify the chairperson’s remuneration.

The Cabinet approved the order on October 21, 2025, replacing an earlier notification issued on September 22, 2025.