J&K’s new job drive has 8575 posts; domicile mandatory, issuance date relaxed

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) has come up with an official notification for filling up over 8000 Class-IV posts in various departments in what would be the first employment drive in J&K after abrogation of Article 370 and the erstwhile state’s downgrading to a Union Territory.

The job notification released on the official JKSSB website on Friday aims to fill 8575 vacancies of District/ Divisional / Union Territory Cadre Class-IV Posts in various departments.

The applicants, as per the job notification, must possess the domicile certificate “in accordance with the notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs” on March 31, 2020 and the General Administration Department, Government of J&K.

Interestingly, since the process of applying for domicile certificates electronically has just begun this week, the notification has kept a relaxation for the issuing date of the certificate which a candidate is bound to produce at the time of document verification.

The notification reads: “The candidate must possess the Domicile Certificate issued by the competent authority on the format prescribed for the purpose at the time of document verification, or as and when sought by the Services Selection Board. The Domicile Certificate should be issued in favour of the candidate on or before the date, as shall be fixed for Documents Verification by the Board.”

Secretary JKSSB, Ranjeet Singh told The Kashmir Monitor that the domicile certificates issued on or before the date of document verification–which hasn’t been decided yet–will be accepted.

Prior to this, in job advertisements by JKSSB, the Board used to make it clear that documents, whether academic or otherwise, must have been issued before the date of the release of the particular employment notification.

Out of 8575 posts advertised, 463 vacancies are for UT cadre, 1545 for Division Cadre Jammu, and 1616 for Div Cadre Kashmir.

The rest include district cadre posts with 132 for Shopian, 320 for Srinagar, 393 for Anantnag, 165 for Bandipora, 563 for Baramulla, 399 for Budgam, 116 for Ganderbal, 147 for Kulgam, 281 for Kupwara, and 116 for Pulwama.

Similarly, 439 posts for Jammu district, 304 for Doda, 385 for Kathua, 144 for Kishtwar, 106 for Poonch, 268 for Rajouri, 158 for Ramban, 139 for Reasi, 97 for Samba, and 279 for Udhampur.

The candidates can start applying for the posts online from 10 July with 25 August as the last date for submission of forms.  

The advertisement comes at a time when the J & K government is issuing domicile certificates on a fast-track basis and has even come up with an e-application system for the same.

A government officer who fails to issue it on time may attract punishment of having to forfeit up to Rs 50,000 from their salary.

As per the redefined domicile law, those who have resided in Jammu and Kashmir for 15 years or studied for 7 years and appeared in secondary and higher secondary board examinations in the Union Territory will be considered a domicile.

So far, as many as 25,000 people including a senior IAS officer have been granted domicile certificates in Jammu and Kashmir, a media report said on Friday.

The government, as per the report, has received 33,157 applications for domicile certificates in J&K of which over 25,000 people have been granted the citizenship certificate.

It added that Srinagar was the only district which has received 65 applications for domicile certificates but not a single one has been issued so far.

Interestingly, nearly 32000 applications have been received in 10 districts of Jammu alone, while Kashmir has received only 720 applications so far, the report added.

The move has triggered huge criticism and is being dubbed as one of the steps to “alter the demography” of Jammu and Kashmir.

“All our misgivings about the new domicile rules in J&K are coming to the fore. We in @JKNC_opposed the changes because we could see the nefarious design behind the changes. The people of J&K on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountains will be the sufferers of these domicile rules,” former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted on Friday.