J&K collected Rs 114 crore from job aspirants in 3 years, but vacancies dipped

In the last three years, Jammu and Kashmir's Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Service Selection Board (JKSSB) have collected Rs 114 crore as application fees from candidates aspiring for various government jobs, according to the state government. However, the number of job vacancies advertised by these agencies has significantly decreased.

The JKPSC advertised 4,961 posts over the past three years, down from 4,228 in 2023-24 to just 357 in the latest financial year. Similarly, the JKSSB advertised 11,003 non-gazetted posts, declining from 4,228 in 2023-24 to 1,731 in the most recent year. This decline in vacancies has coincided with a drop in the number of candidates appearing for the exams.

Of the 18,360,560 applications received by the JKSSB, only 938,777 candidates appeared for the recruitment exams. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the government, stating that these recruitment agencies have become "money-minting machines, extracting money from unemployed youth instead of helping them." The government has promised to implement an online mechanism for refunding fees to candidates affected by the withdrawal of posts or multiple payments, which is expected to be operational soon.