Waheed Para Questions Recruitment Delays as 38 JKPSC Exams Remain Pending

NewsEye Desk

Srinagar, Oct 2: Jammu and Kashmir’s two major recruitment bodies advertised 15,964 government posts over the last three financial years, attracting more than 21.12 lakh applications, while collecting nearly ₹114 crore in application fees, according to figures presented in the J&K Legislative Assembly.

The figures were provided by the government in response to an unstarred question raised by MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para regarding recruitment examinations conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB).

According to the data, JKPSC conducted 245 recruitment examinations for 4,961 posts, receiving 2,76,065 applications. The Commission collected ₹24.43 crore in examination fees during the period.

JKSSB, meanwhile, conducted 124 recruitment examinations for 11,003 posts, attracting 18,36,056 applications. It collected ₹89.50 crore in application fees and refunded around ₹1.36 crore.

Together, the two recruiting agencies advertised 15,964 posts and received about 21.12 lakh applications, with combined fee collections amounting to approximately ₹113.93 crore.

The data also showed that 38 JKPSC recruitment examinations remain pending, including 32 from 2025-26. The backlog stood at 34 examinations as of March 31, 2026, before four additional examinations became pending from April 1 onwards. Fees amounting to ₹28.76 lakh had been collected in connection with the pending and cancelled examinations.

In contrast, JKSSB reported no pending examinations in the period covered by the government response. It said nine examinations were postponed in 2024-25 and three in 2025-26, but these were subsequently rescheduled and conducted.

The figures come amid concerns over the current composition of the JKPSC. The post of chairman fell vacant on August 15, 2026, following the retirement of Arun Kumar Choudhary. Recent reports said the Commission was functioning with two serving members, Dr Rajiv Singh and Asaf Mehmood Sagar.

The government has also said JKPSC, with assistance from the National Informatics Centre, is developing an online mechanism to process refunds in cases involving withdrawal of posts or multiple payments.

The figures highlighted by Para in his social media post have therefore brought attention to the scale of recruitment activity, the volume of applications and fees involved, as well as the pending examinations before the JKPSC.