Ibni Maqbool
Srinagar, Jan 17: In a significant move, the administration of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory has directed all the departments to undertake a comprehensive review of their recruitment rules.
Citing Reorganization of Jammu & Kashmir, the Department of Administrative Reforms, Inspections and Trainings has asked the departments to undertake the exercise so that the task of review/ completion of the recruitment rules of all the departments is finalized at the earlier.
“It is therefore once again requested to all the administrative secretaries to conduct a comprehensive review of the recruitment rules of various services(gazetted /non-gazetted) under their administrative control and submit the proposal complete in all respects,” reads the letter written by the department in December 2020.
On August 5, 2019, the Central Government abrogated key provisions of Article 370 and re-organised Jammu & Kashmir into Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. These UTs started functioning as separate territorial entities from October 31, 2019.
After re-organisation of J&K, the manpower of erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir was distributed between the successor UTs.
A high-level panel was also constituted by the Union Home Ministry in September 2019 to distribute assets, liabilities and manpower of erstwhile state of J&K between the two UTs. The committee’s recommendations have been implemented last year.
It is worthwhile to mention that ARI & Trainings department has repeatedly issued directions to all the departments to review their recruitment rules.
The delay in framing/ updating recruitment rules is affecting new recruitment and career progression of officials.
Due to absence of recruitment rules, officials appointed in government departments cannot be promoted to the next higher post(s). The posts created also cannot be filled without any method of recruitment provided for the same.
Recruitment Rules are rules notified under proviso to Article 309 or any specific statutes for post(s) prescribing inter alia the method of recruitment and eligibility for such recruitment. Recruitment Rules are subordinate legislation and so, they are statutory in nature.
In past, the Public Service Commission and the Service Selection Board have repeatedly called for revisiting the recruitment rules, saying the existing rules are obsolete and outdated. “Many new subjects have been introduced in different universities and a large number of candidates have qualified in these subjects. However, such candidates are ineligible to apply for the posts as they do not fulfil the requisite qualification as provided in the existing recruitment rules,” reads the PSC report of 2014-2015.
“In many departments, recruitment rules have been framed way back in 1960. In departments like Agriculture, the rules are so complex that it becomes difficult to consider officers for promotion.”
