by Dr Renuka
The government must urgently intervene to review these outdated rules and ensure that deserving technocrats are absorbed into the system.
Hundreds of skilled agriculture technocrats in Jammu and Kashmir are ready to work, but the system is keeping them out. Once the backbone of the region’s economy, the agriculture sector is now grappling with a severe unemployment crisis among its trained professionals. Despite playing a vital role in food security and rural development, qualified Agriculture Technocrats with specialised degrees are struggling to find opportunities to put their skills into practice. Every year, hundreds graduate from the region’s agricultural universities, yet government doors remain firmly shut. The issue is not the absence of jobs; numerous vacancies exist, but restrictive recruitment policies are leaving these technocrats sidelined, threatening innovation, productivity, and the very future of agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir.
Key positions such as Junior Agriculture Extension Officer (JAEO), Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO), and other field-level technical roles have not been filled for years. Due to policy changes under SRO-433 and SRO-442, new appointments have virtually stopped. Under SRO-442 of 2017, all JAEO posts are now filled through departmental promotions, eliminating direct recruitment that earlier ensured opportunities for new entrants. Likewise, SRO-433 reduced direct recruitment for AEO posts from 50 per cent to just 20 per cent. These changes have effectively blocked an entire generation of Agriculture Technocrats from contributing to the system.
The roots of the present crisis can be traced back to the changes made in recruitment rules (SROs) around 2007-08. During that period, a group of agriculture graduates, after completing their degrees, launched protests demanding government employment. In response, the administration of the time offered them positions in the Department of Agriculture. However, after joining, some of these recruits reportedly engaged in unfair practices and influenced internal processes to serve their own interests. Instead of addressing these irregularities, the government in power then supported their actions, leading to amendments in the SROs. The change was a point of contention and was reportedly made to regularise candidates appointed under the now-defunct Rehbar-e-Zirat scheme. These candidates had been appointed without a formal screening process. The government’s decision to shift to a promotion-only system was seen by unemployed agriculture graduates as a way to adjust these candidates, effectively cutting off direct recruitment opportunities. These developments gradually distorted the original recruitment framework and closed the doors for deserving and qualified agriculture technocrats in the following years.
What makes the situation alarming is that no major recruitment has taken place in the agriculture department for nearly 20 years. This raises a serious question: how are departments functioning efficiently without the induction of new professionals? Agriculture is a dynamic field that depends on continuous innovation and scientific expertise. When no young technocrats are appointed for decades, the very flow of new ideas and updated technologies to farmers comes to a halt. Without trained extension officers and technical staff in the field, it is impossible to deliver modern practices, new crop varieties, climate-smart methods, and digital tools to the farming community. As a result, the gap between scientific knowledge and ground-level agriculture continues to widen, directly affecting productivity and rural livelihoods.
Another pressing concern is the use of funds allocated to the agriculture sector. The government has invested crores of rupees in agricultural schemes, infrastructure, and modernisation. Yet, without the necessary manpower to execute and monitor these programs, it remains unclear where the money is being spent and whether the benefits are truly reaching the farmers. The lack of transparency in recruitment and implementation has led to growing frustration among both Agriculture Technocrats and the farming community.
Agriculture Technocrats, under the banner of various associations, have repeatedly appealed to the government to restore fairness and transparency in recruitment. They are demanding that the earlier recruitment structures be reinstated, specifically, a 50:50 ratio for AEO posts as per SRO-179 of 1988 and a 60 per cent direct recruitment quota for JAEO posts as per SRO-02 of 2004. They are also calling for the repeal of SRO-433 and SRO-442, re-advertisement of the withdrawn Agriculture Extension Assistant (AEA) posts, and the filling of all vacant positions through open competition via PSC or SSB. Despite multiple rounds of protests, demonstrations, and even hunger strikes by unemployed Agriculture Technocrats across the region, there has been no concrete response or assurance from the government so far. Above all, they seek a recruitment policy that ensures equal opportunity for Agriculture Technocrats while restoring merit, efficiency, and accountability in the system.
Agriculture Technocrats across Jammu and Kashmir are united in their demand for justice and fair opportunity. The jobs exist, the manpower is ready, and the sector needs expertise, yet flawed policies stand in the way. The government must urgently intervene to review these outdated rules and ensure that deserving technocrats are absorbed into the system. Restoring recruitment and accountability will not only empower thousands of unemployed Agriculture Technocrats but will also strengthen the delivery of modern technology and scientific knowledge to farmers who form the heart of our economy. The future of Jammu and Kashmir’s agriculture and the prosperity of its farming community depend on timely and decisive government action today.
(Author works at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, SKUAST Jammu. Ideas are personal.)
