A fresh controversy has erupted over the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) recruitment process after the board issued three separate advertisement notifications for Police Constable posts within a short span, triggering widespread resentment among job aspirants across the Union Territory.
JKSSB recently notified the following recruitment advertisements referred by the Home Department:
- Advertisement Notification No. 12 of 2025, dated 24.12.2025
- Advertisement Notification No. 14 of 2025, dated 31.12.2025
- Advertisement Notification No. 15 of 2025, dated 31.12.2025
Together, these advertisements account for 2,484 vacancies (1815 + 487 + 182) for the post of Constables in J&K Police.
As per the notifications, candidates belonging to the Unreserved/Open Merit category are required to pay an application fee of ₹700, while those from Reserved categories must pay ₹600 for each advertisement.
Aspirants Question Multiple Advertisements
Candidates have raised serious concerns over the decision to issue three separate advertisements instead of conducting one consolidated recruitment process for all available vacancies. Since applications have to be submitted separately for each notification, candidates intending to apply for all three are compelled to pay the application fee multiple times.
Job aspirants allege that this move disproportionately affects economically weaker candidates, many of whom struggle to afford repeated application fees amid rising unemployment and financial stress.
“This appears to be an unnecessary financial burden on aspirants. If all vacancies are for the same post, why not issue a single advertisement?” questioned several candidates while speaking to local media.
Allegations of Revenue Generation
Many aspirants have termed the move a “money-making tactic”, alleging that the recruitment body and the government are exploiting the desperation of unemployed youth by fragmenting vacancies into multiple advertisements.
The issue has gained further traction as aspirants point to the 2024 election manifesto of the National Conference (NC), led by Omar Abdullah, which had promised that job application fees would be made free for all examinations.
Demand for Government Intervention
Candidates have now urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to immediately intervene in the matter. They are demanding:
- A review of the decision to issue multiple advertisements
- Refund or waiver of application fees
- Implementation of the manifesto promise of free job applications
With protests and online campaigns gaining momentum, the controversy has emerged as a burning issue for unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir, putting pressure on the government to clarify its stand and take corrective measures.
As of now, neither JKSSB nor the government has issued an official response addressing the concerns raised by aspirants.
