Mudasir Ahmad
Srinagar, Oct 30 (KINS): At least 60 percent of the selected candidates for JKAS Combined Competitive Examination are from reserved categories, sparking calls from politicians to scrap the reservation policy.
According to news agency KINS, out of 71 candidates called for the medical examination, 42 belong to reserved categories for the J&K Civil Services indicating only 40 percent candidates have been selected under open category.
Reacting to the results, PDP MLA Waheed ur Rehman Parra called for the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir to be abolished, arguing that it could compromise the long-term quality and competence of institutions.
“The J&K PSC 2023 results show that only 40 percent of candidates were selected on open merit, despite more than 70 percent of the state’s population being in the unreserved category,” Parra said.
Former SMC Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu echoed this sentiment, stating, “Every interview or advertisement notice based on this inhumane, unjust, and undignified reservation policy is a fresh wound for the unemployed meritorious youth of J&K. The reservation policy must be scrapped without delay, with at least 70 percent reserved for open merit.”
Senior journalist Ahmad Ali Fayyaz posted on X, “The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission has announced the final results of the Combined Competitive Examination 2023 (J&K Administrative Service). Of the 71 selected candidates, only 29 (40%) are from the Open Merit category, which comprises over 70% of the population. Sixty percent of the selected candidates are from reserved categories, including some candidates from so-called ‘backward’ villages that, in reality, are among the most advanced. This discrepancy is due to the fraudulent practices of bureaucrats and politicians over the past decades. It’s high time for the National Conference government to implement its manifesto agenda, review the reservation policies, and ensure justice for Open Merit candidates.”
According to the selection notification, in April 2023, the General Administration Department referred 75 posts for the J&K Combined Competitive Examination-2023 to the J&K Public Service Commission. The posts were advertised by JKPSC on April 13, 2024, and 30,756 candidates were provisionally allowed to appear for the Preliminary Examination. (KINS)