Kohima, June 13, 2025: The Konyak Students’ Union (KSU) has formally urged the Nagaland government to revamp its existing job reservation policy based on tribe-wise population ratios, calling it a “moral and social necessity” for the Konyak tribe and the state as a whole.
In a representation addressed to the Chief Minister via the Deputy Commissioner of Mon, KSU President Temwang and General Secretary A. Pangnan demanded an immediate review - without waiting for the release of the 2021 Census - and suggested fast-tracking the matter through a cabinet decision.
Tracing the history of reservation in Nagaland, the Union noted that since the policy’s inception in 1977 (initial 25% quota for seven identified tribes), subsequent revisions in 1979, 2008, and 2011 increased the total reservation to 37% but failed to accommodate larger tribes like the Konyak. Currently, despite comprising 12.65% of Nagaland’s tribal population (over 250,000), Konyaks hold just 6% of government jobs, compared to the state average employment rate of 1:15, while their own ratio stands at 1:33.
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Citing the 2011 Census and the Nagaland Human Development Report 2016, the KSU highlighted that Mon district - the Konyaks’ heartland - has the lowest literacy rate (56.99%) and the lowest Human Development Index in the state. The Union warned that persistent underrepresentation and lack of state job opportunities risk pushing educated youth toward anti-social behavior and insurgency, calling it a growing social “time bomb”.
Core Demands
• Immediate overhaul of the reservation policy, introducing a population-based system
• Implementation via fast-tracked cabinet notification, without awaiting census updates
KSU argued that such a shift would ensure fair representation across communities and aid in the socio-economic upliftment of historically marginalized tribes.
