Amid protests, recruitment exams deferred

Our Correspondent

Jammu, March 15

Facing protests by job aspirants for days over hiring of a “tainted” firm for recruitment tests, the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has deferred the exams for different posts scheduled from March 16 to April 5.

The decision came after BJP’s J&K chief Ravinder Raina was gheraoed by job aspirants at the power department’s office in Gandhi Nagar of Jammu on Tuesday afternoon after which he promised to take up the matter with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and JKSSB Chairman Rajesh Sharma. However, the JKSSB’s order didn’t mention any reason for the postponement of the exams. Several job aspirants had been protesting against Aptech Limited, hired by the JKSSB to conduct the qualifying examination, in Jammu and Srinagar. Aspirants had alleged that the firm was blacklisted in many states, but JKSSB Chairman Rajesh Sharma had maintained that the blacklisting period had already been over.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the JKSSB would conduct the deferred computer-based tests (CBT) soon. Transparent and merit-based selection is the top-most priority of the administration, he said while inaugurating the Chancellor’s Trophy at the Jammu University here.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted that the administration should remove the firm (Aptech) and conduct the exams by some “credible agency”. Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, while congratulating the job aspirants, thanked the administration for “realising the gravity of the issue”.

Sinha, Mufti spar over hiring of ‘terrorists’

• PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti criticises L-G Manoj Sinha for his statement that previous governments gave jobs to terrorists and their kin.
• Sinha says 47 people were dismissed from government service for anti-national activities. “What I have said is based on reality,” he adds. pti

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