JKPSC tweak rules, withdraws 365 posts of Assistant Professor, Librarian, PTI

Chief Secy led panel emphasis on written examination, reduce interview marks

Jammu: Three hundred and sixty five posts of Assistant Professors/ Librarian, PTI which were referred by the Higher Education Department for recruitment of eligible candidates in terms of SRO 124 of 2014 and advertised by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission, JKPSC, have been withdrawn after government made modification in Rule 45 of JKPSC (Business and Procedure) 2021.
The decision in this connection was taken in a recently held review meeting, chaired by Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir . The other four members who were part of the meeting included Principal Secretary to Government Higher Education Department, Secretary to Government, GAD (through VC),Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (through VC) and Secretary, JKPSC (through VC).
“ In the interest of full transparency and objectivity, the selection criterion needs to be modified to place greater emphasis on written examination and reduce discretion by limiting the marks for interview. Accordingly, the following criterion was proposed unanimously for the selection process of Assistant Professor/ Librarian/ PTI in Higher Education Department. Written Examination :75 marks, Interview: 15 marks, Academic Qualification: 10 marks (criterion as per UGC regulations)”, read the minutes of the meeting which is assessed by The News Now.
It further reads as , “ Screening Committee for conduct of interview and viva voca include Chairman JKPSC, member to be nominated from outside J&K by Higher Education Department (HED),Administrative Secretary , HED, and two Subject Experts to be nominated by JKPSC from outside J&K)’.
Meanwhile, protests started taking place in and outside Jammu University by the scholars soon after the new criterion for the recruitment in Higher Education Department came into being. They said that the Academic Qualification which includes NET, SET/SLET,Ph.D has been given less weightage, thus proving detrimental for their career.