Delayed recruitments leave job aspirants in lurch as JKPSC functions without members

Srinagar, May 4:  The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) has been left on crutches as all the positions of its members are lying vacant due to which the ongoing recruitments for different departments have been stalled.

An official said the commission was working without members which have delayed the completion of the ongoing recruitment process while the notifications for new recruitments are not being issued as well.

Amid the delay in the recruitment processes, the aspirants of various posts have been left in a state of distress.

The aspirants of the Assistant Professors (AP) rued the delay by the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC) in holding the interviews of the candidates shortlisted for different subjects (posts) in the Higher Education Department (HED).

Similar complaints were received from the aspirants who have applied for various positions (Gazetted) in the Health and Medical Education Department.

The candidates complained that the JKPSC has delayed the interview process for unknown reasons, leaving the aspirants at the receiving end.

“The recruitment notifications for these positions in the HED were issued in May 2023. While recruitment has been completed in several subjects, delays have occurred in others due to the absence of the Chairperson of the JKPSC for a long time during previous months,” aspirants told Greater Kashmir.

They said that in some subjects like Mathematics and Physics, exams had to be conducted twice due to issues with question papers which lead to further delay in these subjects.

“We were hopeful that the recruitment process will be expedited following the appointment of a new chairman. We expected that the candidates will be called for interviews but we are being told that the process has been stalled due to shortage of members in the Commission,” the aspirants said.

The aspirants lamented that the prolonged delay has caused distress among candidates who were “eagerly” waiting for the completion of the recruitment process.

“We appeal to the J&K LG administration to address this issue promptly and complete the recruitment process without any further delay,” the aspirants said.

A group of AP aspirants for Urdu subject told Greater Kashmir that the JKPSC has not issued the selection list since October 2023.

“The delay in approving these selection lists has not only caused frustration among the candidates but has also affected their livelihoods and career prospects,” the aspirants said.

The aspirants said that they have invested considerable time, effort, and resources in preparing for the selection process but the prolonged delay in approval was exacerbating the anxieties and uncertainties.

“We urge the JKPSC authorities to expedite the selection process which will relieve the aspirants from the stress and uncertainty,” the aspirants told Greater Kashmir.

Secretary JKPSC, Bashir Ahmad Dar when contacted said that the recruitment processes were stalled due to non availability of the members.

"All the positions of members are lying vacant. As and when the commission gets new members, the recruitment process will be expedited and completed in a time bound manner," Dar told Greater Kashmir.