SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has come under heavy scrutiny after declaring the results of exams conducted by MeritTrac, a firm blacklisted by the Board in August 2023.
These exams, including the Junior Legal Assistant and Legal Assistant exams, were conducted in March 2022, and the results were announced nearly two years later, a few days ago, sparking widespread controversy. The results were declared despite the firm’s involvement in a major recruitment scam currently under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
According to Kashmir Dot Com, MeritTrac remains at the center of a major CBI investigation related to the J&K Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam. As per the CBI, 24 individuals, including personnel from the BSF, CRPF, J&K Police, and various other officials, have been charged in connection with this case. The firm is being scrutinized for its involvement in leaking question papers and manipulating exam results.
The CBI’s chargesheet, filed in December 2023, further implicates MeritTrac in the manipulation of examination processes for several recruitments conducted by JKSSB, including the J&K Police Sub-Inspector exams. Despite these ongoing investigations, the JKSSB proceeded with the declaration of results for the exams held by MeritTrac, raising concerns over the integrity of the process.
The decision has sparked outrage among political leaders and the public. Waheed Ur Rehman Para, PDP leader and a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Pulwama, expressed his concerns on social media.
“MeritTrac: blacklisted by @jkssbofficial and mentioned in a CBI FIR, conducted exams in 2022 which were canceled for fraud. Yet, the Junior Legal Assistant & Legal Assistant exams that were conducted by the same firm weren’t canceled & results were declared just a few days ago. Why weren’t these exams canceled? Was CBI consulted on this issue? Playing with the dreams of J&K’s youth when they’re already under tremendous pressure is unforgivable,” Para tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) according to Kashmir Dot Com.
The tweet quickly gained traction, with several social media users condemning the JKSSB for disregarding the ongoing investigation and continuing to use a blacklisted company. Many users raised concerns about the fairness of the recruitment process and called for accountability from the JKSSB.
According to the minutes of the 239th Board meeting of JKSSB, which was chaired by Indu Kanwal Chib and attended by 23 senior officers of the Board, several official decisions were taken regarding the delayed declaration of results.
As per official documents in possession of the Srinagar-based news-gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com, the Board had deliberated over pending litigation, which had caused the delay.
“A petition challenging the declaration of results was filed before the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which resulted in the suspension of the declaration for some time. However, in May 2023, the CAT dismissed the petition, clearing the way for the JKSSB to announce the results,” JKSSB said in its minutes of the meeting.
The minutes of the meeting reveal that while the decision to proceed was not without internal discussions and deliberations, the Board ultimately decided to move forward with the process due to legal clearance from CAT.
According to the documents, the official letter sent by the JKSSB to the General Administration Department (GAD) on June 15, 2023, outlined the decision to proceed with declaring the results for the Junior Legal Assistant, Legal Assistant, and several other exams held by MeritTrac in 2022.
“The Board’s decision was based on the GAD’s approval of the legal course and the directions received from the authorities concerned,” JKSSB said as per Kashmir Dot Com.
The letter referenced multiple internal memos, which clarified that while the issues raised during the examination were of significant concern, “no further legal barriers existed to prevent the announcement of the results.”
The JKSSB further clarified that MeritTrac had been specifically blacklisted for its role in a larger scandal surrounding the J&K Police Sub-Inspector recruitment exams, not for the exams related to the Junior Legal Assistant and Legal Assistant positions.
With the results now officially declared, the matter has become a focal point of political debate and public scrutiny. While the JKSSB has justified its decision in the minutes of its 239th board meeting, aspirants argue that the blacklisting of MeritTrac and the ongoing CBI investigation warrant a thorough review of the entire recruitment process. Aspirants have also demanded the cancellation of the results. (KDC)
