SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has set a target to fill 7,253 vacant posts across various departments by the end of the year, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The government, he said, is committed to streamlining the recruitment process and ensuring that essential vacancies are filled without delay.
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Addressing the House, the Chief Minister stated that a total of 11,526 selections had been made over the past two years across different categories. He further revealed that of the 7,253 vacancies targeted for recruitment this year, 1,502 are Gazetted posts while 5,751 are Non-Gazetted posts. As of January 31, 2025, the total number of vacant posts across 38 government departments stood at 32,474, including 2,503 Gazetted posts, 19,214 Non-Gazetted posts and 10,757 Class-IV (MTS) posts.
Omar Abdullah said that his government has undertaken a series of measures to address these vacancies efficiently. Over the past two years, 13,466 Non-Gazetted vacancies were referred to the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB), with 9,351 selections already completed. Similarly, 2,390 Gazetted vacancies were referred to the J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC), leading to 2,175 selections. Meanwhile, 10,757 Class-IV (MTS) vacancies have been identified across various departments and are currently under the scrutiny of the Finance Department before being referred for recruitment. Additionally, more than 6,000 vacancies are ready for referral and will be sent to recruiting agencies in the coming months.
The Chief Minister also announced a series of reforms aimed at making the recruitment process more transparent and efficient. To ensure faster hiring, the government has abolished interviews for posts up to Pay Level 5 (₹29,200-92,300) through an order issued in May 2020. Interviews for Level 6 posts, including Junior Engineers and Naib Tehsildars, have also been eliminated through a fresh order issued in February this year. He said that departments have been instructed to identify additional posts up to Level 6 where interviews can be removed to expedite the recruitment process.
In addition to these reforms, Abdullah highlighted that the revised JKSSB regulations, notified in November 2022, now mandate online computer-based examinations and a single-exam system for multiple posts wherever feasible. He directed both the JKPSC and JKSSB to adopt a target-based approach to complete recruitments within the shortest possible time.
Providing an update on key recruitment drives currently underway, the Chief Minister informed the House that 150 Junior Engineer (Civil) posts have been referred to JKSSB for selection. Once the Cadre Schedule for Engineering Gazetted and Subordinate Services is finalized, the remaining engineering vacancies will also be referred. In the Higher Education Department, 150 Gazetted vacancies, including positions for Assistant Professors, Librarians and PTIs, are in the process of being referred. Out of the 840 vacancies referred in the department, 476 have already been filled, while 364 are in the final stages of selection.
In the Health and Medical Education sector, 56 Gazetted and 660 Non-Gazetted vacancies have been referred for selection. Meanwhile, 597 Lecturer posts across 27 disciplines in the School Education Department were referred to JKPSC between November 2024 and January 2025. The Chief Minister added that all administrative departments have been instructed to ensure that available vacancies are referred to recruiting agencies without unnecessary delays.
Speaking on the long-pending issue of daily wagers, Abdullah informed the House that the government has constituted a high-level committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, to examine the humanitarian, legal and financial aspects of regularizing Casual, Seasonal and Other Workers (CSLWs). The committee, he said, will propose a comprehensive policy for their regularization.
The Chief Minister also highlighted a significant policy decision aimed at addressing procedural delays in recruitment. The J&K government has extended the deadline for notifying recruitment rules by six months through an Executive Order issued in November last year. This, he said, is intended to resolve delays in formulating recruitment policies and ensure timely hiring for critical government positions.
Furthermore, he informed the House that the JKSSB’s mandate has been expanded to oversee Non-Gazetted recruitment in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), government companies, boards and other state-controlled entities to streamline the hiring process. The government, he said, is committed to filling critical vacancies in an efficient manner while ensuring transparency and fairness in recruitment.