J&K collected Rs 114 crore from job aspirants in 3 years, Assembly told

The figures shared by the government also reveal a sharp decline in the number of posts advertised by the two recruitment agencies since the Omar Abdullah regime took power in October 2024. (File Photo)

Jammu and Kashmir’s two government recruitment agencies have collected Rs 114 crore as application fee from aspirants of different examinations over the last three years. The information was shared by the government in the J&K Assembly during the ongoing autumn session.

The figures shared by the government also reveal a sharp decline in the number of posts advertised by the two recruitment agencies since the Omar Abdullah regime took power in October 2024.

The number of posts advertised by the Public Service Commission declined from 2,586 in 2023-24 to 1,400 in 2024-25 and just 357 in the last financial year.

The posts advertised by the SSB have also shown a sharp decline. In 2023-24, the agency had advertised 4,228 posts, which rose to 5,044 posts in 2024-25. However, the number has come down to just 1,731 in 2025-26.

Responding to a question, the government said that over the last three years — 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 — the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) have collected Rs 114 crore from the candidates applying for various jobs.

The Public Service Commission recruits candidates for the gazetted posts while the Service Selection Board does it for non-gazetted posts.

The government informed the House that the Service Selection Board has collected around Rs 89.50 crore from aspiring candidates as application fee for 11,003 non-gazetted posts advertised by the recruitment agency.

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It further said that the Public Service Commission has advertised 4,961 posts over the last three years and collected Rs 24.43 crore from the aspiring candidates.

‘Agencies have become money-minting machines’

“Government examination agencies have become money-minting machines, extracting money from unemployed youth instead of helping them,” said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed Para, who had asked the question in the House. “Papers are sold, exams are withheld and nearly 90% of recruitment has remained stalled for two years. The irony is that the recruitment agency itself doesn’t even have a permanent chief,” he said.

While the two recruitment agencies withdrew many posts, the Public Service Commission is yet to refund its candidates. The SSB, on the other hand, has refunded an amount of Rs 1.36 crore to the applicants.

“JKPSC, with the assistance of NIC (National Informatics Centre), is devising an online mechanism for refund of fees on account of withdrawal of posts or multiple payments,” the government has said. “The mechanism is likely to be operational shortly,” it added.

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Giving the details, the government has said that the SSB has advertised 4,961 posts — 2,586 in 2023-24, 1,400 in 2024-25, and 357 in 2025-26. While the recruitment agency has received 2,76,065 applications for these posts, only 1,85,808 candidates appeared in the exams.

Similarly, the SSB has advertised 11,003 non-gazetted posts over the last three years — 4,228 in 2023-24, 5,044 in 2024-25, and 1,731 in 2025-26. The recruitment agency has received 18,36,056 applications for over 11,000 posts. Only half of the candidates — 9,38,777 — appeared in the recruitment exams.

Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. Expertise and Experience Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development. Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor. Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans: Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance. Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population. Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley. Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More