Kohima, September 23: The Nagaland government has established a Job Reservation Commission to review and overhaul the state’s reservation policy for government jobs, aiming to ensure equitable representation of all tribal communities in public employment.

The commission, constituted on September 22, will be chaired by retired IAS officer R. Ramakrishnan and will include heads of key departments such as Home, Law & Justice, Higher and Technical Education, and Personnel & Administrative Reforms. Its primary mandate is to examine the existing job reservation policy and assess its impact on tribal representation in government positions.

The panel will hold consultations with apex tribal bodies, student organisations, and employee associations to gather ground-level insights for equitable policy implementation. It will also develop new criteria to determine which tribes qualify for reservation benefits, define the overall percentage of reserved positions, and suggest time-bound measures to address backwardness of communities.

Additionally, the commission is tasked with addressing implementation gaps, recommending technological interventions for a “robust, error-free, and foolproof” monitoring system, and ensuring transparency and accountability in reservation processes. The panel has six months to submit a comprehensive report with recommendations for government consideration.

The Home Department will provide office space and secretarial support, while the Finance Department will allocate the necessary budget for the commission’s operations.