CM writes to PSC Chairman, seeks postponement of exam

Jammu, Dec 6: It was a kind of ‘shadow-boxing’ on the display between two power centres in J&K on the microblogging site ‘X’ on Saturday over the issue of age relaxation for the aspirants of the Jammu and Kashmir Combined Competitive (preliminary) Examination-2025, scheduled to be conducted by the J&K Public Service Commission on Sunday, December 7, 2025.

Just a day ahead of the exam’s conduct, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote to the Chairman, J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC), Jammu, Arun Kumar Choudhary, seeking postponement of the J&K Combined Competitive (preliminary) examination, 2025.

In the official communiqué (No PS/HCM/D.O/2025/239 dated December 6, 2025) to JKPSC Chairman, Chief Minister quoted “widespread travel chaos due to ‘ongoing air services’ disruption’ in the air services” further compounded by the “prevailing uncertainty arising on account of delay in proposal regarding age relaxation” as main reasons for seeking postponement of the exam.

Following this communiqué, the “power-wrestling” began with a post on the “Office of Chief Minister, J&K” handle on ‘X’.

This post on ‘Office of Chief Minister, J&K’ on ‘X’ blamed “uncertainty resulting from Lok Bhavan’s delay in approving age relaxation.”

Almost at the same time, the post was re-posted by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on his personal ‘X’ handle as well.

An interesting point was that the official communiqué did not mention ‘Lok Bhawan’ while the post on ‘X’ directly blamed it (Lok Bhavan) for uncertainty.

The post on ‘X’ read, “Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the travel chaos caused by the ongoing airline issues, compounded by the uncertainty resulting from Lok Bhavan’s delay in approving age relaxation, a provision granted multiple times in the past. He urged JKPSC to take note of the unprecedented stress on aspirants and consider postponing the exam in the interest of fairness and equal opportunity for all.”

In the official communiqué, the Chief Minister said that the ongoing disruption in the air services caused widespread travel chaos across the region.

This was further compounded by the prevailing uncertainty arising due to the delay in the proposal regarding age relaxation- an enabling provision that was extended multiple times in the past.

He said that those factors were causing unprecedented mental and logistical stress on the candidates.

CM Omar urged the commission to take cognisance of the prevailing circumstances and consider postponement of the forthcoming examination by a reasonable duration, purely in the interest of the candidates, “keeping in mind the principles of fairness, equity and equal opportunity for all aspirants.”

The CM also exuded confidence that the commission would take a “compassionate and balanced view of the matter in the large public interest.”

Besides those posts on ‘X’, the CM’s advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani, while speaking to a national news agency, also suggested that the “examination should be delayed until the issue of age relaxation, currently pending the Lieutenant Governor's approval, was addressed.”

“The elected government is in favour of relaxing the upper age limit for recruitment, and we have sent the file to the Lok Bhawan in this regard. Till the process is completed, the JKPSC should defer the examination,” Wani was quoted by the national agency.

He said that the CM Omar-led government sent the age relaxation file to the Lieutenant Governor earlier this week.

“The file has been returned to the General Administration Department with some queries. The GAD has forwarded it to the Public Service Commission for its opinion on the matter,” Wani was quoted as saying by the national agency.

On anticipated lines, these posts evoked a reaction from ‘Lok Bhavan’ as well in the evening, however, without mentioning the “Chief Minister” or the “Office of Chief Minister” or the elected government.

However, these punches from both sides, literally in the air, did not serve the cause of the over-aged aspirants seeking age relaxation, in any manner, as confusion and an utter state of uncertainty persisted among the CCE aspirants over age relaxation, till late evening.

FULL TEXT OF CM’S COMMUNIQUÉ TO JKPSC CHAIRMAN

“I am writing in the context of the extraordinary situation presently confronting the aspirants of the Jammu and Kashmir Combined Competitive (preliminary) Examination-2025, scheduled to be conducted by the J&K Public Service Commission.

The ongoing disruption in the air services has caused widespread travel chaos across the region. This is further compounded by the prevailing uncertainty arising due to the delay in the proposal regarding age relaxation- an enabling provision that has been extended multiple times in the past. Together, these factors have placed unprecedented mental and logistical stress on the competing candidates.

In view of the above, and keeping in mind the principles of fairness, equity and equal opportunity for all aspirants, I would urge the Commission to take cognisance of the prevailing circumstances and consider postponement of the forthcoming examination by a reasonable duration, purely in the interest of the candidates.

I am confident that the Commission, as always, will take a compassionate and balanced view of the matter in the large public interest.”

PTI ADDS

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has urged both the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister to resolve the issue promptly.

“Aspirants of the JKPSC CCE are caught in a tussle between the LG and the CM. In this freezing cold, they are out on the streets asking for nothing more than basic fairness -age relaxation and a reasonable exam schedule. I urge @OfficeOfLGJandK and @OmarAbdullah to step in and resolve this issue without any further delay,” Mufti said on X.

Senior CPI(M) leader and MLA from Kulgam, Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami, voiced concerns about conducting the test on Sunday while a crucial decision on age relaxation is still pending, placing aspirants at a “clear disadvantage.”

“The proposal to enhance the upper age limit for JKAS aspirants has been forwarded to Raj Bhavan (Lok Bhavan) for approval, even as the examination is scheduled to commence tomorrow. Conducting the test while such a crucial decision is still pending places aspirants at a clear disadvantage,” Tarigami said in a post on X.

Referring to the flight disruptions, he noted that many candidates travelling from outside Jammu and Kashmir are stranded due to flight cancellations.

“The examination must be deferred until the approval process is duly concluded,” he said.