SRINAGAR: More than 21 lakh applications were received for 15,964 government posts advertised by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) over three financial years, while the two recruitment bodies collected Rs 113.91 crore in application fees, government data placed before the Legislative Assembly shows.
From 2023 to 2026, JKPSC & JKSSB advertised 15,964 posts, received a staggering 21.12 lakh applications and collected nearly ₹114 crore in application fees!
Yet, 38 JKPSC examinations remain pending, and then JKPSC – a constitutional body currently functions without a…
— Waheed Ur Rehman Para (@parawahid) October 2, 2026
The figures, covering 2023-24 to 2025-26 and the period beginning April 1, 2026, were cited by Pulwama MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para in a post on X on Friday. The data shows that the two agencies conducted 369 recruitment examinations for the advertised posts.
According to the government reply to Para’s question during the Assembly’s recently concluded sixth session, JKPSC conducted 245 examinations for 4,961 posts, while JKSSB conducted 124 examinations for 11,003 posts during the period.
JKPSC received 2,76,065 applications and collected Rs 24.42 crore in fees. JKSSB received 18,36,056 applications and collected Rs 89.49 crore. The combined figures amount to 21,12,121 applications and Rs 113.91 crore in fees.
The data also indicates the scale of competition for government employment in J&K, with more than 11.24 lakh candidates appearing in the recruitment examinations conducted by the two agencies during the period.
At the same time, 38 JKPSC examinations remained pending, including 32 from 2025-26 and four from the period beginning April 1, 2026. Two pending examinations were from 2023-24, while none were reported pending from 2024-25.
The government said Rs 28.76 lakh had been collected in fees for pending and cancelled examinations.
JKPSC, with assistance from the National Informatics Centre, is developing an online mechanism to process fee refunds in cases where advertised posts are withdrawn or candidates make multiple payments, the government said.
It also clarified that candidates are not entitled to a refund solely because an examination has been postponed, as the recruitment process is scheduled to continue.
Para raised concerns over the pending examinations and the absence of a chairman at the JKPSC, describing both issues as sources of uncertainty for job aspirants. He urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene.
The JKPSC chairman’s post fell vacant following the retirement of A.K. Choudhary in August, with the Commission continuing with two serving members, according to reports published in September.
JKSSB handles recruitment for non-gazetted and subordinate posts, including Class-IV positions, while JKPSC conducts recruitment for higher-level gazetted administrative, police and specialised technical services in Jammu and Kashmir.
