SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has sanctioned the reappointment of Dr Waseem Raja as Assistant Professor (Botany) following directions issued by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, withdrawing an earlier order that had cancelled his appointment.
According to Government Order No. 199-JK(HE) of 2026, dated July 6, 2026, issued by the Higher Education Department, Dr Raja has been reappointed under the Open Merit (OM) category against an available vacancy. The appointment will take effect notionally from June 4, 2018, while regular service will be reckoned from the date of issuance of the fresh government order.
The order, signed by Commissioner/Secretary to the Government Ram Niwas Sharma, IAS, follows legal proceedings before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at Srinagar.
The department said Dr Waseem Raja of Pulwama, was initially recommended by the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC) on May 14, 2018, and appointed as Assistant Professor (Botany) on June 4, 2018, after completion of CID verification.
The dispute arose from litigation relating to the eligibility of candidates possessing degrees in Applied Botany and Environmental Botany. Following the High Court’s disposal of connected petitions on April 7, 2023, the PSC reviewed the merit list and found that Sumira Jan of Anantnag, had secured 62.21 merit points, compared with 61.62 points obtained by Dr Raja. The PSC subsequently recommended Ms Jan’s appointment and advised that Dr Raja’s recommendation be withdrawnab initio.
Based on the revised recommendation, the department issued a show-cause notice to Dr Raja on August 3, 2023. He challenged the action before the CAT, which granted an interim status quo order on August 18, 2023.
Subsequently, the department issued Government Order No. 110-JK(HE) of 2025 on March 5, 2025, cancelling Dr Raja’s 2018 appointment ab initio and appointing Ms Sumira Jan under the Open Merit category with notional effect from June 4, 2018.
Dr Raja later initiated contempt proceedings before the High Court. In its order dated April 18, 2026, in WP(C) No. 686/2026, the Division Bench held that there was no justification for cancelling his appointment, observing that he was neither a party to the original writ petitions nor had his selection been directly challenged.
The High Court further noted that the PSC was required to accommodate the successful petitioners without disturbing Dr Raja’s appointment. It recorded the Government’s submission that 21 Assistant Professor (Botany) posts remained unreferred to the PSC and directed the department to accommodate Dr Raja against one of those vacancies within two months.
In compliance with the court’s directions and to avoid further contempt proceedings, the Higher Education Department withdrew the earlier cancellation order and sanctioned Dr Raja’s reappointment against an available vacancy under the Open Merit category.
