Organisers, resource persons and program participants at the one-day sensitisation programme on skill development, at Town Hall, Mokokchung, on July 22.
Morung Express News
Mokokchung | July 22
Only 96 NPSC posts were available in 2025, yet more than 16,000 candidates appeared for the preliminary examination, leaving roughly 166 aspirants competing for each vacancy.
The odds come as Nagaland produces an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 graduates every year, while more than 30,000 Naga students are pursuing their studies in Delhi and other cities, NSEDM Under Secretary and Project Lead Meripeni Ngullie said adding that The number of NPSC posts advertised annually is generally between 250 and 300.
Ngullie presented the figures during a one-day sensitisation programme on skill development organised by Ao Officers’ Telungjem in collaboration with the Nagaland Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Mission (NSEDM) at Town Hall, Mokokchung on Wednesday.
Presenting on the Shifting Paradigms on Job Opportunities & Employment, she said Nagaland’s unemployment rate stands at 16 per cent, among the highest in the country. More than 65 percent of unemployed persons are in the 15–29 age group, while around 80 percent of educated unemployed persons are graduates or above.
“The question is what happens to the other 165 candidates who spend years preparing for one vacancy,” Ngullie said, highlighting the need for young people to consider alternatives to prolonged dependence on government-job examinations.
She said years spent waiting for examinations and results can result in loss of income, work experience, professional networks and confidence. The presentation also pointed to a gap between education and industry requirements, as well as a mismatch between salary expectations and the realities of the job market.
Ngullie said training alone would not solve the problem unless young people were prepared to enter the market, gain experience and take up available work. She said skills have value only when they are applied in the field.
The NSEDM, she said, is training around 2,400 young people across more than 30 trades and is working to expand access to skilling opportunities, guidance and employment linkages.
Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung Ajit Kumar Verma, IAS, said government employment alone could not absorb the growing number of educated youth in the state. He said Nagaland needed an ecosystem that gives skilled workers access to quality training, infrastructure, market opportunities and social recognition.
Verma urged young people to explore entrepreneurship and employment in sectors such as technology, hospitality, agriculture, repair services and other emerging fields. He said the state has capable and adaptable youth, but requires sustained guidance, platforms and investment to convert potential into employment.
Jt. Commissioner of Taxes and Ao Officers’ Telungjem vice-president Imosong Imsong said the programme was organised to encourage youth to identify their abilities and pursue productive opportunities. He said that despite being among the most educated communities, the Ao community also faces unemployment challenges.
The technical session was moderated by ITI Mokokchung Principal Er. T. Imlisunep Ao. NSEDM Mission and Training Coordinator Nukholo Swuro spoke on skilling opportunities under the mission, while Limamatsung and Akumtemsu of L&A Repair and Services, and drone operator Kütholüzo Gideo Veswüh, shared their experiences.
