SRINAGAR, October 6, 2026 – Presenting a grim picture of the employment scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, recent government data has revealed a massive disproportion between job applications and actual recruitment. According to official figures cited in the J&K Legislative Assembly, the region’s top recruitment agencies—the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Services Selection Board (JKSSB)—received over 21 lakh applications for government posts between 2023 and 2026, yet only 7,580 selections have been finalized since October 2024.
The startling data highlights not just the intense competition for government jobs, but the massive financial burden placed on unemployed youth. During this three-year period, the two recruitment agencies collectively amassed approximately ₹113.91 crore in application fees. Specifically, the JKSSB received more than 18.36 lakh applications for 11,003 advertised posts, collecting around ₹89.49 crore. Meanwhile, the JKPSC received 2,76,065 applications for 4,961 posts, collecting ₹24.42 crore.
Despite conducting a combined 369 recruitment examinations (with over 11.24 lakh candidates appearing), the actual conversion of these exams into jobs remains agonizingly slow. The government data indicates an average of roughly 3,950 selections per year. Furthermore, the Assembly was informed that 38 JKPSC examinations remain pending. The issue is compounded by the fact that the constitutional commission (JKPSC) has been operating without a chairman since August 2026, exacerbating delays and uncertainty for job aspirants.
Expressing deep concern over the situation, MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para raised the issue in the Assembly, stating, “Lakhs of applications, crores of rupees collected, examinations pending, and our youth continue to live in uncertainty.” He pointed out the concerning arithmetic where over 13,834 referred vacancies have remained unfilled for more than two years—with the Health and Medical Education department alone accounting for 12,797 of those vacancies. The legislator has strongly urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to urgently intervene, streamline the recruitment process, and address the growing despair among the educated, unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
Published by True Roots Media Network