Srinagar, April 5, KDC: In what can only be described as a bureaucratic fairy tale—with, magical leaps, and disappearing rules—the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) has found itself at the center of a rather theatrical controversy. Clerks and orderlies are pole-vaulting past direct recruits who once dared to clear the formidable JKPSC examination.
Yes, you read that right. Armed not with degrees or competitive exam scores but with the mysterious powers of “feeding services,” a cadre of departmental employees—some reportedly non-graduates—have got promoted to the Time Scale of JKAS ahead of those who entered through the front door.
Take for instance Saddat Iqbal whose initial appointment in itself is illegal and under challenge, who stepped into the ₹4800 grade pay level in June 2016 and was briskly ushered into the Time Scale by January 2022—while direct recruits from 2012 still waited for promotion, holding their appointment letters and wondering if their clocks had stopped.
Joining this meteoric march are Abdul Jabbar, Pawan Kumar, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Abdul Rashid Reshi and others, whose promotion timelines would make even the most ambitious rocket scientist blush. Some were appointed as recently as 2018-2019 and have already marched over direct recruits from multiple JKAS batches—2012-I, 2012-II, 2013, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
A total of 41 officers from these “feeding services” have now found themselves elevated far ahead of their supposed seniors. Meanwhile, direct recruits— who spent years burning the midnight oil, cracking one of the toughest state exams, and dreaming of dignified service—are being served a bitter brew of irony and injustice, reported news agency Kashmir Dot Com.
Until then, the direct recruits wait. Not for promotions, but for logic to prevail.
Because if this is “service,” then perhaps the JKPSC exam should come with a disclaimer:
“Warning: Clearing this test does not guarantee seniority over the office peon.”
In a glaring distortion of service norms, departmental feeding service members—who once served under Junior Scale JKAS officers—are now being promoted ahead of them, courtesy of a deeply flawed implementation of the 2008 Rules.
Take the case of the Secretariat Gazetted Service: 50% of Under Secretary posts are held by direct-recruit JKAS officers, the rest by departmental promotees. A Section Officer (Grade Pay ₹4200) reporting to a 2012-batch Junior Scale Officer was promoted to Under Secretary (₹4800) in 2016 and further inducted into the Time Scale of JKAS in 2024—while the direct recruit from 2012 still stagnates at the same level.
Resultantly, unequals are being treated as equals—if not superiors—violating the principles of natural justice. These promotions not only destroy hierarchy and merit but also stand in breach of Articles 14, 16, Constitution and basic tenants of service jurisprudence , which guarantee equality of opportunity and prohibit arbitrary action in public employment.
This systemic anomaly demands urgent correction before the service structure collapses into a parody of its own rules.
Dear Reporter
Contempt breeds contempt. KAS people are themselves responsible for this state of affairs mainly because of their selfish nature and approach to crush the future and carrier of other services. Who frames the service rules who interprets them. It is they who make and unmake these rules the way it suits to them.
Soon they will come with some crooked policy to attend this issue also in a standalone basis with total disregard of principles and rules.
When other services face any such issue and raise it to the authorities they discourage and decline that not on the basis of principles and rules but out of mere prejudice for others and also to maintain their so called superior status.
As regards the overall service rules of J & K these are not laid on sond principles of equity merit and fairness. There are rules which push KAS qualified officers towards Non KAS Service and a clerk, VLW, STENOGRAPHER, Sub inspector, anganwadi supervisor and many more to the KAS. This apart one more category comes under TQ with the support of government in power. In this there is absolutely no transparency and accountability. TQ should as per rules filled up annually but it’s quota too is userped by the KAS people claiming injustice in your report.
In nutshell the problem is not as simple as projected by in your report but is multifaceted one and requires review of all the service rules on the principles of equity transparency accountability uniformity and fairness as is th practice in other states and at the centre.
Dear Reporter
Contempt breeds contempt. KAS people are themselves responsible for this state of affairs mainly because of their selfish nature and approach to crush the future and carrier of other services. Who frames the service rules who interprets them. It is they who make and unmake these rules the way it suits to them.
Soon they will come with some crooked policy to attend this issue also in a standalone basis with total disregard of principles and rules.
When other services face any such issue and raise it to the authorities they discourage and decline that not on the basis of principles and rules but out of mere prejudice for others and also to maintain their so called superior status.
As regards the overall service rules of J & K these are not laid on sound principles of equity merit and fairness. There are rules which push KAS qualified officers towards Non KAS Service and a clerk, VLW, STENOGRAPHER, Sub inspector, anganwadi supervisor and many more to the KAS. This apart one more category comes under TQ with the support of government in power. In this there is absolutely no transparency and accountability. TQ should as per rules filled up annually but it’s quota too is userped by the KAS people claiming injustice in your report.
In nutshell the problem is not as simple as projected by in your report but is multifaceted one and requires review of all the service rules on the principles of equity transparency accountability uniformity and fairness as is th practice in other states and at the centre.