Fast-track recruitment takes off in Jammu and Kashmir

The J&K Services Selection Board (SSB) had advertised 8575 class-IV posts in June 2020 which saw tens of thousands of educated unemployed youth applying. The process of selection was completed within the shortest possible time.

An official said that 8575 class-IV vacancies were advertised by the SSB under the ‘Accelerated  Recruitment Programme’ launched by the LG Administration.

“The main aim of the Accelerated Recruitment Programme is to fill the available vacancies in various government departments in a time-bound and transparent manner,” the official said.

The new rules for recruitment against class-IV vacancies envisage selection only on the basis of a  common written test while the interview for these posts has been completely dispensed with.

“I am quite glad and thankful to the government for bringing in new rules which are youth-friendly, fair and transparent in that they ensure the time-bound conclusion of the recruitment process,” Aijaz Ahmad, a Srinagar-based youngster, said.

He admired the new recruitment rules for giving additional weightage to domiciles, extra points to economically weaker groups like widows, divorcees, casual, daily rated workers, and families having no member working in the government sector.

Many job aspirants said that the SSB has maintained a "first-rate standard of transparency and fairness” in all the recently held written examinations besides ensuring time-bound declaration of results despite odds and difficulties caused by the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic.

The SSB officials said the board is keen to complete the selection for the rest of the posts referred under  Accelerated Recruitment Programme as and when the situation improves.

Many candidates expressed satisfaction over the Accelerated Recruitment Programme and thanked the  LG Administration “for taking youth-friendly measures in J&K”.

It may be mentioned that earlier the SSB declared result/notified percentile merit for 8575  District/Divisional/UT cadre posts of class-IV pertaining to various departments which were advertised under provisions of the Jammu & Kashmir Appointment to class-IV (Special Recruitment) Rules, 2020.

Under the aforementioned new recruitment rules, 8575 vacancies of class-IV had been referred to the  SSB by the General Administration Department. Subsequently, the posts were advertised by the SSB  under the Accelerated Recruitment Programme launched by the LG Administration in Jammu and  Kashmir.