The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — In a recent announcement, the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has set the date for the OMR-based written examination for the post of Supervisor in the Social Welfare Department.

The examination, advertised under Advertisement Notification No. 02 of 2023, will be conducted for District Cadre positions from Item No. 08 to 26. Scheduled tentatively on June 23, 2024, candidates are advised to mark their calendars.

Further details regarding the examination, including the exact dates for downloading admit cards, will be communicated separately in due course of time. This announcement serves as an advance notice for all concerned candidates, ensuring they stay informed about the upcoming examination process.

The syllabus for the examination, previously notified, is provided as Annexure "A" in the notice. Candidates are encouraged to review the syllabus thoroughly to prepare effectively for the examination.

It is in place to mention here that the notice "No. JKSSB-COEOEXAM/UT/10/2023-04 (7055504)" has been issued by Reyaz Ahmad Malik (JKAS), Controller of Examinations, Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board on May 16, 2024.

JAMMU — The Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board has released a notification recommending 839 candidates for appointment as Junior Engineers (Civil) in the UT cadre, to be employed by the Public Works (R&B) Department.

According to a notice issued by the Public Works (R&B) Department today, selected candidates are required to promptly submit their email addresses and contact details to the establishment section of the Public Works (R&B) Department at the civil secretariats in Jammu or Srinagar. This information should be provided either in person or via email to clericalhallrnb121@gmail.com within a 21-day period.

The directive aims to facilitate the uploading of candidate information onto the Employee Verification System (EVS), following circular instructions issued by the General Administration Department under endorsement number GADMTGORBIV/9/2021-09-GAD, dated May 20, 2022.

Failure to comply with this requirement within the stipulated timeframe will result in the presumption that candidates are unwilling to accept the appointment as Junior Engineer (Civil) within the Public Works (R&B) Department. Consequently, they will forfeit their right to the appointment without further notice.

For further details and inquiries, concerned candidates are advised to refer to the official communication channels of the Public Works (R&B) Department.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has issued an advance notice regarding the conduct of type tests for the Junior Assistant positions. The tests, as announced, are tentatively scheduled to commence from the first week of April 2024.

According to Reyaz Ahmad Malik, the Controller of Examinations for JKSSB, the exact dates for the type tests and the schedule for downloading admit cards will be communicated separately in due course.

This announcement comes as a significant development for candidates who have applied for the Junior Assistant positions under various notifications. The notice, bearing No. JKSSB-COEOEXAM/UT/10/2023-04 (7055504), was released on February 23, 2024.

Further updates and details regarding the type tests are expected to be provided by the J&K Services Selection Board through its official channels.

For more information and updates, candidates are advised to visit the official website of JKSSB at www.jkssb.nic.in.

It is pertinent to mention that this announcement marks a crucial step in the recruitment process for the Junior Assistant positions by the Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board.

JAMMU — The Home Department has taken a significant step towards fortifying law enforcement in Jammu and Kashmir by referring 4022 vacancies for Constables in the J&K Police to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB).

This move underscores the government's unwavering commitment to bolstering security forces and ensuring the safety and security of the region's residents.

The vacancies for Constables in the J&K Police, last advertised in 2019, will now be filled, reinforcing the ranks of the constabulary within the crucial security force unit of the Union Territory Police. This recruitment drive is poised to enhance the capacity of law enforcement to effectively address a spectrum of security challenges and uphold peace and order.

Beyond strengthening the overall security apparatus of Jammu & Kashmir, this initiative holds the promise of opening avenues of employment for local youth. The absence of recruitment at the Constable level had strained the manpower resources of the J&K Police, impacting operational readiness and service delivery.

The forthcoming recruitment process, to be conducted by the Services Selection Board, will provide aspiring candidates with the opportunity to apply and participate, aligning with the government's commitment to generating employment opportunities for local youth.

The breakdown of the 4022 vacancies includes 1689 for Constables (J&K Armed/IRP), 100 for Constable SDRF, 502 for Constable (Telecom), 20 for Constable (Driver), and 22 for Constable (Photography) under the UT cadre. Additionally, there are 1689 vacancies for Constable Executive Police in the divisional cadre, comprising 1249 for Jammu and 440 for Kashmir.

SRINAGAR — The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has raised concerns regarding the absence of Sikh representation in autonomous bodies such as the Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB).

In a press release issued today, the APSCC called upon Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to appoint honest and upright Sikh officers to these crucial positions.

Jagmohan Singh Raina, Chairman of APSCC, emphasized the need for inclusion, stating that there are numerous qualified Sikh officers capable of serving on the JKPSC and JKSSB. Raina expressed disappointment over what he described as ongoing discrimination against the Sikh community, citing their exclusion from key decision-making bodies as evidence.

"For decades, Sikhs in Jammu & Kashmir have faced systemic discrimination in all aspects of life. Previous administrations have neglected the Sikh community, and unfortunately, the current situation remains unchanged," Raina remarked.

Raina urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to prioritize Sikh representation in Jammu & Kashmir's autonomous bodies, emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusivity. He also highlighted the absence of any specific employment initiatives tailored to the Sikh community in the union territory.

SRINAGAR — Female candidates vying for the position of Anganwadi Supervisor through the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) have voiced concerns over their inability to edit application forms before the February 16 deadline.

Aspiring candidates complained that despite the "Edit Option" provided by JKSSB, they were unable to modify the "Item number" on the website. This issue prevented them from correcting errors, such as district selection discrepancies.

Expressing worry over the looming deadline, applicants urged JKSSB to address the issue promptly to ensure fair consideration for all districts.

Attempts to reach the Chairman of JKSSB for his comments concerning the aspirants' grievances were unsuccessful.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has unveiled a significant opportunity for job seekers with the release of Advertisement Notification No. 02 of 2023 on December 8, 2023. This notification invites applications for 201 District Cadre posts within the Social Welfare Department of Jammu & Kashmir.

Background Information:

This recruitment initiative is in response to an indent received from the Social Welfare Department, Government of Jammu & Kashmir. The indent referenced includes SWD-E5713/53/2021-01 dated March 23, 2023, and SWD-ESTB/53/2021-01 dated May 25, 2023. These posts seek to fulfil various roles and strengthen the department's operations across different cadres.

Eligibility and Application Timeline:

Eligible female candidates are encouraged to apply for these advertised positions. The application submission window opens on December 15, 2023, and closes on January 14, 2024, marking the cut-off date for online application forms.

Detailed Requirements:

1. Domicile Requirement: Applicants must hold domicile status within the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. A valid Domicile Certificate issued by the Competent Authority on or before January 14, 2024, is mandatory.
2. Educational Qualifications: Detailed educational qualifications required for the advertised posts are outlined in Annexure-A of the notification. Candidates must ensure they meet these criteria and be ready to produce original certificates during the Document Verification phase.
3. Reservation Policy: The reservation policy will be applied as per the category-wise break-up of vacancies in adherence to the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation Act/Rules, subject to applicable amendments.
4. Horizontal Reservation: This type of reservation will cut across vertical reservations and includes categories such as ESM (Ex-Servicemen) and Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PIA/Ms), communicated by the Indenting Department/s.
5. Application Fee: The fee structure is Rs. 500/- for certain categories and Rs. 400/- for others, payable online. Applications without the prescribed fee will be summarily rejected.
6. Examination Details: The JKSSB will notify the dates and examination venue/centres separately on their official website www.jkssb.nic.in. The examination format includes Objective Type Multiple Choice Questions in English, incorporating a negative marking scheme of 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer.
7. Syllabi for the Posts: The syllabi specific to these positions will be announced separately and made available on the official website of JKSSB.

Age Limit

The requirement of age for applying against these posts, as on January 1, 2023 for Open Merit & various Reserved Categories Candidates, shall be as under:

Also, every female candidate possessing ESM category, having served in the armed forces shall be allowed to deduct the period of such service from her actual age and if the resultant age does not exceed the maximum age limit prescribed for the post by more than 3 years, she shall be deemed to satisfy the condition regarding age limit.

Important Notes:

• Candidates are advised to closely adhere to the application guidelines and eligibility criteria set forth in the notification.
• Grievances or refund-related issues should be directed to ssbjkgrievance@gmail.com, subject to the JKSSB's regulations and policies.

For further details like name of the posts, category-wise break up of posts, qualification & criteria for selection of the district cadre posts, download the following Advertisement Notification.

This recruitment drive by the J&K Services Selection Board presents a valuable opportunity for eligible female candidates to secure positions within the Social Welfare Department. It is imperative for interested individuals to stay updated with the official JKSSB website for further announcements and detailed information related to these openings.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on Sunday conducted exams for the post of Panchayat Secretary/Village Level Worker under the Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department.

The OMR-based exam saw the appearance of more than two lac aspirants for a total of 1395 vacancies. The exams were successfully held across the centres set up across Jammu and Kashmir.

Notably, the recruitment agency on Sunday evening only announced the answer keys for each series - A, B, C, D.

"Any candidate having objection(s) to the answer key, may submit his/her objection(s)/representation(s) in respect of such question(s) on prescribed format/proforma annexed herewith as Annexure “B” along with the documentary proof/evidence substantiating the claim (hard copies only) and a fee of Rs. 200/- (in the form of demand draft) per question (refundable in case of genuine/correct representation/objection) in favour of the Accounts Officer, J&K Services Selection Board," the recruitment agency said in the notification.

The notification further read, "In case, the objection is found correct, the Answer Key will be revised accordingly in respect of all candidates. No candidate will be informed about the acceptance/non-acceptance of his/her objection individually."

"The objections/representations can be submitted in offline mode only, in the office of JKSSB, CPO Chowk, Panjtirthi, Jammu/JKSSB, Zamzam Building, Rambagh, Srinagar on three working days starting from 11-12-2023, during office hours only. The Board shall not entertain any such representations/objections after the expiry of the stipulated period or through any other mode," it said further.

SRINAGAR — A government teacher died of suspected cardiac arrest while dispensing duties during JKSSB's Panchayat Secretary exams on Sunday, officials said.

The officials said that a teacher namely Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Khaliq Dar and resident of Nanil, posted at Boys Middle School Muniwar Anantnag, fell unconscious while on duty at Al-Sarwat School Krangsoo.

The teacher, the officials said, was immediately taken to District Hospital Anantnag, where the doctors declared him as brought dead on arrival.

SRINAGAR — Jammu Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB), which is frequently in the news for the wrong reasons, has come up with figures which are absolutely flawed with regard to applications it has received from the job aspirants and vacancies filled up.

JKSSB has also shown its reluctance to make the data about revenue generation to the public.

Under the Right to Information Act, the applicant MM Shuja had sought information from the recruiting board, asking it how much revenue it has generated from jobless youth in the shape of application fees and demand drafts in Jammu and Kashmir for the last four years.

The Board in its first reply said that after working out, the data will be provided to the information seeker and then later on the JKSSB claimed that the information about revenue generation can’t be divulged under section 8(e) of the Right to Information Act.

Telephonically, a JKSSB official admitted that there is no record of how much revenue it has generated from job aspirants. In other words, it can be safely said that the Board has not maintained any proper record.

From 2019 to 2022, the official data reveals that 26,22,285 (Twenty-six lakh, twenty-two thousand and two hundred eighty-five) job aspirants have applied for different posts advertised by JKSSB and they properly paid submission fees.

JKSSB received 26,22,285, applications from job aspirants while it advertised 26,687 (Twenty-six thousand six hundred and eighty-seven) posts from 2019 to 2022.

Ironically, JKSSB has claimed that it filled 2616 vacancies in 2019 though the number of posts advertised was below the selected number of candidates. How 2616 vacancies were filled up when there were only 2026 posts advertised is a riddle that only the Board can solve.

The same is the case for the years 2021 and 2022. Also, the vacancies filled up are more than the posts advertised.

The data also highlights the graph of unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir. From 2019 to 2022, out of over 26 lakh job aspirants, only over 16,000 people have secured government jobs.

As per the data, only over 3,000 posts have been forwarded by different departments to JKSSB for the last four years.

JAMMU — Lieutenant Governor J&K, Manoj Sinha on Monday said there is a deliberate attempt being made by some vested interest elements to stop recruitments in Jammu and Kashmir. The LG appealed to the youth to stop carrying out candle marches and assured them those playing with the bread of merit holders will not be spared.

He said that complaints poured in past about recruitments after which the administration swung into action and cancelled the examinations. “The exams were cancelled and investigations were ordered. Simultaneously, CBI was given the task to probe the matter and expose the culprits who want to snatch bread of merit holders,” LG Manoj Sinha said as per the news agency KNS while addressing an event in Jammu.

“I assure youth the investigation is underway and the CBI will reach to the neck of influential and bring them to justice soon,” LG Sinha said.

He said during the past three years, the J&K administration provided jobs to 30,000 youth and there was a plan to provide 12,000 more jobs in the ongoing year but unfortunately, some vested interested elements don’t want to let the recruitment process go smoothly.

“I appeal to youth don’t come under influence of such elements who want to snatch your bread. What can they say who provided jobs to terrorists and their families? Those who recruited one lakh people through the backdoor have no right to talk about current recruitments. I want to make it clear that those days are gone when jobs were made available at shops and were given recommendations. Now only merit will talk and nobody will be allowed to snatch the bread of a merit holder,” LG added.

He appealed to the youth to not come under influence of vested interested elements and assured them that no cheater will be allowed to play with their future.

SRINAGAR — A division bench of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court on Friday requested the single bench to hear and decide afresh a petition challenging the engagement of Mumbai-based Aptech firm by the Jammu & Kashmir administration for conducting job tests. It set aside the single bench order cancelling the allotment of a contract to the firm and maintained its interim directions shall remain in force.

The division comprising Justice Tabi Rabistan and Justice M. A. Choudhary today remitted the writ petition back to the writ court for deciding the matter afresh.

“……Therefore, in view of what has been discussed above, we, without discussing the merits of the case, deem it proper to dispose of the appeals and remit the writ petition back to the Writ Court for deciding the matter afresh. Ordered accordingly. Accordingly, the order and judgment impugned is hereby set aside, the writ petition is restored to its original number and the writ petition is remitted back to the learned Single Judge with a request to decide the matter afresh," reads the order as per the news agency KNO.

The order further reads, "Writ respondents through their learned counsel are directed to file objections/counter to the writ petition within two weeks from today, thereafter, rejoinder, if any, to be filed within next one week. Registry is directed to list the writ petition before the learned Single Judge on 5th of April, 2023, when the learned Single Judge is requested to finally decide the writ petition. Till then interim direction dated 09.12.2022 shall remain in force."

In its interim directions on December 9, the division bench had directed that J&K Services Selection Board shall proceed with the selection process of Junior Engineer (Jal Shakti Department) and Sub-Inspector (Home Department), however, the result of the same shall await further orders from this Court.

Blacklisting period of Aptech over in May 2022: JKSSB Chairman

Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) chairman Rajesh Sharma on Friday assured the youth that there will be no compromise on transparency and merit while the blacklisting period of Aptech recruitment agency is over.

Addressing the press conference here at Jammu, he said the blacklisting period is for three years and this company's period got over in May 2022 while recruitment is being done in a free and fair manner. He also said the particular agency is already conducting exams across the country and at the Centre.

He further said that the present protests seem to be motivated to derail the functioning of the board. "There are certain elements spreading distortion and misinformation on the issue," he added.

"We are very much aware of your concerns and all efforts will be made to conduct exams in a fair, transparent and secure manner. Do not pay heed to rumour mongers and those with ulterior motives, who are only here to disrupt the processes,” Sharma assured aspirants.

He further said that justice will be ensured while the ability and merit of youth will be respected and strict action will be taken against all those elements who are trying to harm the future of meritorious aspirants.

On the allegation against the recruitment agency, he said that the matter is sub-judice and the High Court will take a decision in the matter. "The issue will be settled by the law and not by sloganeering. The instant protests seem to be an attempt to influence the High Court," he added.

SRINAGAR — Job aspirants continue to stage protests against tainted Apetch company hired by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) in Kashmir capital Srinagar.

Pertinently, yesterday the aspirants also held a protest against the Aptech company that had already been blacklisted for conducting written examinations for recruitment to various government posts.

Scores of aspirants assembled in Press Enclave and demanded to scrap the contract of the company, alleging it has indulged in malpractices.

“It is unacceptable for us to appear in examinations held under the supervision of a tainted company. We don’t trust it as it has already strangulated the life called ‘justice’,” they said.

They said they don’t understand why this tainted company has been hired again and what are the sinister motives. The protesters demanded the cancellation of the contract without any delay.

JAMMU — The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) is conducting Computer Based Written Test (CBT) for various posts with effect from March 16 to April 5, 2023 at various examination centers in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The examination has been scheduled to be conducted in multiple batches at different locations/venues set up in various districts of the UT, for which adequate security arrangements have been put in place at each examination centre," a statement from the Board said.

It added, "The concerned District Magistrate will issue prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) around the examination centers during the timing of the examination."

"A multi-layered structure for supervision has also been established with one Centre Observer and Centre Magistrate for each examination center by the respective District Administration. Besides, senior officers shall also be deployed as General Observers by the General Administration Department and IT professionals shall be deployed by Information Technology Department for monitoring the CBT examinations. The J&K Police shall deploy security personnel for frisking and maintenance of law and order at each venue/location," the statement further said.

It went on to say, "In addition, the CBT shall be conducted under CCTV surveillance for maintaining transparency in the examination. Besides, low-frequency jammers are being installed in all the examination centres to prevent the use of unfair means including cheating using Bluetooth and Wi-fi enabled electronic devices. In order to ensure that the examination process being adopted is completely secure and free from any kind of malpractice, a third party has been hired to review/audit the examination process of Computer Based Tests conducted by JKSSB."

"The aspiring candidates appearing in the aforesaid examination are hereby cautioned against the activities of vested interests and advised not to fall prey to the designs of touts and unscrupulous elements. If any candidate is approached by touts/unscrupulous elements in any matter pertaining to recruitments of JKSSB, they are advised to immediately report such persons to the JKSSB," the Board informed.

It further said, "The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board will appreciate if specific information about such unscrupulous elements along with evidence is furnished to the Board, enabling it to take appropriate legal action. The identity of such candidates who will report the unscrupulous elements shall be kept confidential."

"The JKSSB wishes the best of luck to all the candidates taking the CBT examination. Moreover, candidates scheduled to appear in the examination are also warned to desist from indulging in any unfair means practice like impersonation, carrying of prohibited items, communication devices, electronic equipments/gadgets or any other material with the intention of receiving assistance. The candidates found to be attempting/using any unfair means practice during the examination, shall be dealt with strictly as per the provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (Conduct of Examinations) Regulations, 2022 including debarring of such candidates for appearing in future examinations," JKSSB warned.

The candidates have been advised to visit the official website of the Board only for authentic/verified updates/information. "They should also carefully read the instructions enclosed with the Admit Card."

SRINAGAR — Scores of Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) job aspirants gathered here in Press Enclave on Wednesday to protest against the purported grant of a contract to Aptech Limited for the conduct of various exams.

The protesters, as per the news agency GNS, demanded that the LG administration must investigate why paper leak and scam issues only occur in Kashmir.

“All blacklisted companies should be banned in Jammu and Kashmir. Until action is taken against these blacklisted companies, no student will sit for any competitive exams,” the protestors opined.

The protesters pointed out that Aptech Limited has been involved in numerous scams in other parts of the country including Rajasthan, Leh, Ambala, and others. “Many national papers have also highlighted these scams and nothing significant is being done to allay the apprehensions of the job aspirants,” they said.

The protesters demanded that the Lieutenant Governor administration should rise to the occasion and take necessary measures for the larger benefit of the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

SRINAGAR — The engagement of Aptech by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for conducting computer-based job tests in Jammu & Kashmir has come under severe criticism.

Claiming that the firm has been blacklisted in several States, the job aspirants, civil society actors and politicians are up in arms over the JKSSB’s move to hire Aptech firm for conducting computer-based job tests in Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the news agency KNO, social media platforms were flooded with angry reactions over the engagement of the Aptech by the JKSSB for conducting computer-based job tests in Jammu & Kashmir.

The hashtag #AptechBlacklisted is trending on Twitter, with netizens appealing J&K administration to scrap the contract with the firm to save the future of the youth of J&K.

“Students of J&K are crying due to the mess created by JKSSB. What hardworking students will get when a blacklisted company will conduct exams. Aptech is a scam and JKSSB is destroying the careers of youth. This company should be banned forever,” social media influencer and aspiring politician Guftar Choudhary tweeted.

Lawyer and former Congress spokesman Deepika Pushkar Nath said that hiring of Aptech firm is a sheer fraud with job aspirants.

“Hiring dubious Aptech exam conducting agency for the state level recruitment is a sheer fraud with the aspirants. #AptechBlacklisted tampered with Central level exams and one can imagine the susceptibility of JKSSB exams. Restore Merit system, save meritorious youth of J&K,” she wrote on Twitter.

Political leaders also assailed the move of hiring Aptech. “I have received a lot of emails and messages about Aptech which has been blacklisted in other states. Given the shoddy track record of the past, SSRB better tread with caution. Students need to be heard. You can’t trust a blacklisted company on our future,” PC chief Sajad Gani Lone tweeted.

National Conference chief spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar also lambasted the administration over awarding the contract to the blacklisted firm, saying it is a move to “destroy” the careers of local youth.

“JKSSB is the enfant terrible of the incumbent J&K administration. The Board in spite of addressing the genuine concerns and fear of the educated, skilled local youth seems hell-bent to destroy their future by continuously persisting with a blacklisted company,” Dar said.

The J&K Congress unit on its official Twitter handle said that it stands with aspirants who are suffering due to the illegitimate alliance of Aptech + JKSSB + corrupt officials + BJP leaders.

Chief Spokesperson of Democratic Azad Party (DAP) Salman Nizami termed the awarding of the contract to Aptech Limited a “deep-rooted conspiracy”.

“Awarding a contract to blacklisted Aptech by JKSSB seems a deep-rooted conspiracy to spoil the future of J&K's youth. The contract should be withdrawn immediately and in the future, never to engage with such companies,” Nizami said.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has announced the conduct of the Computer Based Test (CBT) for the posts of Junior Engineer, Civil (Jal Shakti Department) and Sub Inspector, Police (Home Department) tentatively in the month of December 2022.

Notably, the recruitment process for the posts was earlier canceled by the government after the allegations of irregularities in the selection process and also ordered a CBI probe into the recruitment process.

“JKSSB is going to conduct the Computer Based Test (CBT) for the posts of Junior Engineer, Civil (Jal Shakti Department) and Sub Inspector, Police (Home Department) tentatively in the month of December 2022,” JKSSB Official tweeted.

As per the news agency KNO, the JKSSB in a notification said that the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) is going to conduct a Computer Based Written Test (CBT) for the posts of Junior Engineer (Civil) (Jal Shakti Department) and Sub Inspector (Home Department).

“All such candidates who have applied for the said posts, are accordingly informed to participate in the Written Examination. The syllabus for the above posts has been notified by the Board earlier,” it said.

The notification added that this is an advance notice for information of concerned candidates. “The final dates of examination, along with the schedule for downloading of Admit Cards shall be notified separately in due course of time,” the notification said.

SRINAGAR — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at around 36 locations in an ongoing investigation of a case related to the Sub Inspector Recruitment Scam of J&K. “Incriminating documents and digital evidence have so far been recovered during searches,” CBI said, according to the news agency GNS.

The searches were conducted at Jammu, Srinagar in J&K; Karnal; Mahendergarh; Rewari in Haryana; Gandhidham in Gujarat; Delhi; Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and Bangalore in Karnataka at the premises of former Chairman, JKSSB; then Controller of Examination of JKSSB; “Gang” members domiciled in Haryana; certain teachers; some serving/retired officials of J&K Police including a DSP and CRPF.

The CBI had registered the case on August 3 this year on the request of the J&K Government against 33 accused including then Medical Officer, BSF Frontier headquarters, Paloura; then Member, JKSSB; then Under Secretary, then Section Officer (both of JKSSB); Ex-Official of CRPF; ASI of J&K Police; owner of a coaching centre, Akhnoor; private company based at Bengaluru; private persons and unknown others on the allegations of irregularities in written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors in the J&K Police conducted by J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on March 27.

The results were declared on June 4. Amid allegations regarding malpractices in the examination, the J&K government constituted an Inquiry Committee to look into the same. It was alleged that the accused entered a conspiracy amongst officials of JKSSB, Bengaluru-based private company, beneficiary candidates and others, and caused gross irregularities in the conduct of written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors.

It was further alleged that there was an abnormally high percentage of selected candidates from Jammu, Rajouri and Samba districts. Violation of rules by JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting the question paper to Bengaluru-based private company.

Earlier on August 5, the CBI had carried out searches in the premises of the accused at 30 locations including Jammu, Srinagar and Bengaluru.

“Investigation has revealed the alleged payment of Rs 20 to 30 lakh (approx) by willing candidates and their families to the accused for accessing the question paper before the commencement of the examination,” the CBI said, adding, “In this regard, involvement of a gang domiciled in Haryana, certain teachers of J&K, some serving/retired personnel of CRPF, J&K Police and JKSSB has allegedly come to light.”

SRINAGAR — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against 33 accused persons for alleged irregularities in the examination of the J&K Police Sub-Inspector posts conducted by the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB).

In a statement, as per the news agency KNO, the CBI said it has registered a case on the request of the J&K Government against 33 accused including then Medical Officer, BSF Frontier headquarters, Paloura, then Member JKSSB, then Under Secretary, then Section Officer (both of JKSSB), Ex-Official of CRPF, ASI of J&K Police, owner of a coaching centre in Akhnoor, a private company based at Bengaluru, private persons and unknown others.

The statement reads that the case has been registered on the allegations of irregularities in the written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors in the J&K Police on March 27 this year, conducted by JKSSB.

The statement reads that the results were declared on June 4 this year and there were allegations regarding malpractices in the examination.

“The J&K government had constituted an Inquiry Committee to look into the same. It was alleged that the accused entered into conspiracy amongst officials of JKSSB, Bengaluru-based private company, beneficiary candidates and others, and caused gross irregularities in the conduct of written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors,” it added.

It reads that it was further alleged that there was an abnormally high percentage of selected candidates from Jammu, Rajouri and Samba districts.

“Violation of rules by JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting question paper to Bengaluru-based private company,” it reads.

It further reads that searches were conducted today at 30 locations including at Jammu, Srinagar, Bengaluru etc. at the premises of the accused, while the investigation is going on.

SRINAGAR — Scores of candidates, who have qualified the examination for the post of Finance Account Assistant (FAA), continued their protest for the 19th consecutive day on Monday against reports of scrapping of the selection list.

While raising slogans against the administration, the protesters gathered at the Press Enclave and held a sit-in protest and threatened to continue the protest unless their demands are met.

The protesters alleged that malpractices are marring the career of deserving candidates as they are being forced to pay the price of those who cheated.

Earlier, there were reports that the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (JKSSB) is cancelling the recruitment of Finance Account Assistants.

“Scrapping and re-examination is not a viable solution as this will demoralise the aspirants,” said one of the protestors.

The protesting candidates urged the LG-led administration to take note of what they see as “mismanagement” in the JKSSB.