JAMMU: The recruitment process for just 75 Naib Tehsildar posts has become a financial windfall for the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), which has collected over Rs 6.43 crore in application fees, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query.
With application fees set at Rs 600 for general candidates and Rs 500 for those in reserved categories, the figures suggest that over one lakh aspirants applied. However, the deferment of the recruitment last month has left these candidates in uncertainty, said RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma.
“The overwhelming response—over one lakh candidates competing for just 75 posts—highlights the growing unemployment crisis. Educated youth, despite their qualifications, are left with limited opportunities,” Sharma told reporters.
The JKSSB confirmed in its RTI response that Rs 6,43,28,400 had been collected for the 75 Naib Tehsildar positions in the revenue department on June 9. Sharma had filed the RTI on July 21, a week after the recruitment was postponed following a stay by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jammu, on the ‘Urdu-only’ clause for the posts.
Sharma had sought details on the total number of applications received, category-wise, along with the fees collected. The Public Information Officer (PIO) of JKSSB, in a reply on August 2, declined to disclose the application numbers until the selection process concludes but provided information on total fees collected.
“For many aspirants, especially those from financially strained backgrounds, the deferment represents both a loss of hope and hard-earned money, as there is no refund policy for application fees,” Sharma added.
The recruitment advertisement had earlier sparked controversy over the mandatory Urdu requirement, with the BJP protesting against what it termed a “discriminatory order” in the Jammu region, a BJP stronghold where it had won 29 Assembly seats last year.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defended the Urdu clause, emphasizing its administrative necessity. “Even before Independence, our revenue records were in Urdu. How can a revenue staff member function effectively without knowing Urdu?” Abdullah had said. He noted that officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service and Indian Administrative Service who were not proficient in Urdu were previously given time to learn the basics.
On July 14, a two-member CAT bench stayed the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Revenue (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules, 2009, which required candidates to have a graduation degree along with knowledge of Urdu for Naib Tehsildar posts.
Reacting to the CAT order, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called it “deeply unfortunate” and accused the judiciary of being influenced by divisive politics. She stated, “Urdu, a recognized official language for decades, is now being unfairly communalized. Our revenue records and administrative work are maintained in Urdu, and it is only logical that applicants possess basic proficiency. This requirement ensures administrative efficiency, not divisiveness.”
