Kohima, Sept 18: In a significant move, Nagaland has decided to revert the transfers of 33 teachers back to the eastern districts, reversing earlier staff changes, as confirmed by officials on Thursday.

This decision was made during an urgent meeting led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday.

The School Education Department reported that the eastern districts currently host 606 government schools, catering to 45,174 students with a total of 4,733 teachers, resulting in a pupil-teacher ratio of 10:1 according to UDISE 2024-25 data.

The department clarified that the rationalisation policy, which received Cabinet approval in August 2025, aimed to enhance teacher distribution but inadvertently worsened the staffing crisis in the eastern areas.

After extensive discussions, the government resolved to reinstate the 33 teachers who had been relocated during the rationalisation process, aiming to promptly alleviate the staffing shortages.

Additionally, it was decided to identify and transfer teachers specializing in Hindi, Maths, Science, and other essential subjects from different districts back to their original eastern districts to ensure these critical areas are adequately staffed.

The government also announced that newly hired Maths and Science teachers would be assigned directly to schools in the six eastern districts identified as having severe shortages.

To address vacancies, positions would be converted into teaching roles for Hindi, Maths, or Science, with new recruitment efforts to attract qualified candidates through open advertisements.

As a temporary measure, the department has been tasked with exploring community engagement options for teachers until more permanent solutions are established.

Furthermore, consultations with elected officials and district administrations will be conducted to facilitate a more locally tailored and effective teacher rationalisation process.

This decision comes shortly after the Eastern Nagaland Students Federation (ENSF) initiated protests on Monday, demanding the closure of government schools and offices in Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak, and Shamator, citing severe teacher shortages due to the rationalisation policy.

The protests have significantly impacted the education of thousands of students, prompting the government to take immediate action.

Following the government's decisions, the department has urged the ENSF to pause their protests and engage in discussions to resolve the issues by September 20.

In response to the government's invitation, the ENSF, which had planned to escalate protests starting Thursday, has agreed to suspend their agitation until further notice.