Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission’s announcement to hold JKAS main exams from April 8 has sent shock waves among the aspiring candidates. As aspirants have termed it ‘undue and unreasonable eagerness’, former chief minister’s Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have also criticised the announcement. JKPSC, according to rules, must notify exams a month earlier, aggrieved aspirants claim.
“The undue and unreasonable eagerness of JKPSC in conducting the JkAS Mains exam from 8th April, has clearly shown disregard to its own laid down rules, which clearly mention that a minimum gap of one month should be provided to the candidates from the date of publication of the datesheet,” a group of aspirants claimed.
After J&K High Court dismissed the petition for interim relief, JKPSC within few hours of the dismissal of the petition came out with the date sheet of JKAS Mains on Ist April and set the starting date of the exam as 08-April.
“A lot of candidates have applied for SSC CGL and their exam is starting from 11-April to 21 April. Besides this clash, so many candidates are working outside J&K and many inside J&K. The candidates have to apply for leave which isn’t granted instantly,” they said, adding that ‘things are at stake because of this decision of JKPSC’.
“JKPSC has lived up to its murky history of working in a style which puts aspirants at disadvantage. Trace all KAS exams since 2013 and see how unprofessional its conduct has been. It’s is not sufficient that you have a bunch of honest members constituting the commission. What matters is how professional the conduct of this body remains,” they complained.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference’s Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi urged JKPSC to reschedule the JKAS mains exams saying the commission’s notice has left the aspirants disturbed as the time period should’ve been 30 days as is the norm.
JKNC said that Masoodi has flagged the issue with Advisor to LG Rajeev R Bhatnagar & JKPSC Chairman Brij R Sharma.
Omar Abdullah, also demanded reschedule of exams. “This will enable the maximum number of aspirants to take the exam and join the J&K civil services,” he said.
Former chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti took to twitter calling for imidiate intervention of LG.
“GOI is running roughshod over aspirations & dreams of youth in J&K by deliberately introducing arbitrary changes like doing away with relaxation clause for J&K students in CSE post 2019 & now giving only a six day notice for JKAS Main Exam. Request LG to intervene immediately,” she tweeted.