Srinagar— Jammu and Kashmir’s two major government recruitment agencies collected nearly ₹114 crore in application fees from job aspirants over the past three financial years, even as the number of government posts advertised has declined sharply, according to data presented in the J&K Assembly.
The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) together advertised 15,964 posts during 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26. These posts attracted 21.12 lakh applications, with the two agencies collecting a total of ₹113.91 crore in application fees.
According to the government’s reply, JKPSC advertised 4,961 gazetted posts during the three-year period and collected about ₹24.42 crore in application fees. The Commission received 2,76,065 applications, while 1,85,808 candidates appeared for the examinations. JKSSB, which recruits for non-gazetted posts, advertised 11,003 positions and collected around ₹89.49 crore from 18,36,056 applications.
The figures also show a significant fall in the number of vacancies advertised by both agencies. JKPSC advertised 2,586 posts in 2023-24, but the figure fell to 1,400 in 2024-25 and further to just 357 in 2025-26. JKSSB advertised 4,228 posts in 2023-24 and 5,044 in 2024-25, before the number dropped to 1,731 in 2025-26.
The issue was raised in the Assembly by PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, who questioned delays in the recruitment process and the financial burden placed on unemployed youth. Government data further showed that 38 JKPSC recruitment examinations were pending, while the recruitment agencies had also withdrawn some advertised posts.
The government said JKPSC is working with the National Informatics Centre to introduce an online mechanism for refunding fees in cases involving withdrawal of posts or multiple payments. The mechanism is expected to become operational shortly. JKSSB, meanwhile, has already refunded about ₹1.36 crore to applicants.
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