Jammu, February 9: The Jammu and Kashmir government announced on Monday that it has collected over ₹48 crore in application fees from candidates through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) over the past two years. This information was provided in response to a question raised by Pulwama MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para.
The Union Territory government stated that ₹14.48 crore was collected in the fiscal year 2023-24, with ₹7.39 crore from JKPSC and ₹7.09 crore from JKSSB. For the fiscal year 2024-25, JKPSC has collected over ₹10 crore, while JKSSB has amassed more than ₹23 crore in application fees from job-seeking candidates. The total amount collected over the two years stands at ₹48.88 crore.
The government also informed the assembly that approximately 10,400 positions have been advertised by JKSSB in the last two years, while JKPSC has announced around 1,750 positions during the same period.
Earlier, Waheed Para criticized the administration regarding the 2026-2027 Union Territory budget, arguing that it lacks initiatives for youth and daily wage workers, failing to address the issue of unemployment. A significant number of educated unemployed youth in Jammu and Kashmir find government jobs to be the best employment option due to the absence of a robust industrial sector.
Currently, more than five lakh educated unemployed youth in the Union Territory are seeking employment across various sectors. Due to limited job opportunities in government positions, there is often intense competition among candidates. A decade ago, educational or professional qualifications were sufficient to secure a government job, but now written exams and interviews have become standard for selection in government services.
Interestingly, once-popular courses such as medicine and engineering, which previously guaranteed candidates government jobs, are no longer the preferred choices among youth. Reports indicate that over 15,000 MBBS graduates and three times that number of engineering graduates are currently unemployed in Jammu and Kashmir.
