There are 32,474 vacancies across various departments in Jammu and Kashmir. However, since October last year, only 3,727 of these vacancies have been sent for recruitment. This was informed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday in a written reply to MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone who wanted to know the number of vacancies available in government departments.
Abdullah, who heads the general administration department, informed the Legislative Assembly that as of January 31, there are 2,503 gazetted vacancies, 19,214 non-gazetted vacancies and 10,757 multi-tasking staff vacancies. Despite the large number of vacancies, the recruitment process has been slow.
After the elected government led by Abdullah assumed office on October 16, 2024, only 3,727 posts have been referred to the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) and the Public Service Commission (PSC), including 738 gazetted posts, 1,754 non-gazetted posts and 1,235 multi-tasking staff vacancies. The government also revealed that Rs 14.17 crore has been collected as examination fees from job applicants taking recruitment tests.
For a question whether there are any plans to waive application fees for job seekers, the government said that no such proposal is being considered. The slow pace of recruitment despite many vacancies has raised concerns among job seekers.
Also read
- Soon, Poonch’s Banwat View Point will have 105-ft-tall Tiranga, Indian Army confirms
- Jammu and Kashmir police detain over 200 suspected over-ground workers of terror groups
- Chinese man detained for visa violation in J&K, visited sensitive areas in Ladakh, had suspicious online activity
- J&K government promises inquiry into JDA after journalist Arfaz Daing's house demolition
Government jobs are in huge demand in Jammu and Kashmir due to limited opportunities in the private sector. Of late, educated youth have taken to starting their ventures to earn a livelihood.
Horticulture and tourism employ lakhs of people directly and indirectly in Jammu and Kashmir. Startup culture is also shaping up slowly among educated youth. The government’s skill development programmes are also providing training and other assistance for youth to start their businesses.
IT sector, which had started to pick up in J&K, suffered a setback due to the communication blockade by the government when Article 370 was revoked. The sector is yet to recover fully and many businesses offering services to clients outside India were shut. However, efforts are on to revive the sector with better internet availability.
