A job aspirant in Jammu holds a placard protesting the J&Ok’s authorities’s transfer to permit a blacklisted firm to conduct the J&Ok Service Selection Board’s selection course of
| Photo Credit: Twitter/ Jammu Kashmir Students
The Lieutenant-Governor’s (L-G) administration in J&Ok confronted extreme criticism from job aspirants in the Union Territory on Monday for permitting a blacklisted firm, Aptech Limited, to conduct the J&Ok Service Selection Board’s (J&KSSB) selection course of for Junior Engineers (JE) and Sub-Inspectors (SI).
Hundreds of aspirants created a storm on social media platforms like Twitter to protest the federal government’s transfer. They posted movies donning masks in Jammu and silently holding placards that learn “RIP SSB” and “Error 404 JKSSB, jobs not found”.
“Dear SSB, stop the exam calendar immediately otherwise students are ready to come on the roads. We don’t need a blacklisted company Aptech for exams in J&K. We want fair and transparent recruitment and there is no fun in taking exams from this blacklisted company,” the All J&Ok Youth Federation, a physique of unemployed youth, posted on Twitter.
Aptech Limited has been employed by the J&KSSB for computer-based assessments of aspirants showing for JE posts in the Jal Shakti Department, and SI posts in the J&Ok Home Department. The J&Ok administration cancelled the selection course of for 65 JEs in the Jal Shakti Department in 2020 following allegations of discrepancies. The selection record of 1,200 profitable candidates of SIs was additionally cancelled in 2022 following allegations of irregularities.
With the examination processes coming underneath the judicial scanner, Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal of the J&Ok High Court on December 8, 2022 directed the L-G administration “to constitute a high level committee headed by a retired High Court Judge to enquire into the conduct of JKSSB for the their brazen irregularities and illegalities in changing the terms and conditions of the tender”. Justice Nargal famous that Aptech Limited “has already been involved in various malpractices and irregularities and was blacklisted by the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL)“.
The company faces similar allegations of malpractices in the Rajasthan Police Constable recruitment process, recruitment to the Irrigation Department of Assam, to the Allahabad High Court National Testing Agency, to UPPCL, etc. The High Court of Delhi imposed a fine of ₹10,00,000 on Aptech Limited for “resorting to or permitting malpractices at institutional level”.
However, a two decide Bench of Justices Sindhu Sharma and Vinod Chatterji Koul stayed Justice Nargal’s ruling and directed the J&KSSB to proceed with the selection course of. Since this ruling, the J&Ok administration has been dealing with criticism. Earlier, a plea was filed by a number of aspirants earlier than the court docket “not to conduct the Computer Based Test Mode (CBTM) involving public employment through Aptech Limited for being blacklisted”.
As the examination dates close to, large-scale protests have been reported from Jammu in addition to Kashmir. J&Ok’s political events have additionally criticised the L-G administration for permitting Aptech Limited to conduct the selection course of.
National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar stated his social gathering was solely echoing the general public rage over the choice. “Why is such a company being selected, which has consistently failed to provide transparency and accountability in conducting such an exercise? This question begs to be answered. The Board, instead of addressing the genuine concerns and fear of the educated, skilled local youth seems hell bent on destroying their future,” he stated.
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) additionally criticised the federal government. “It seems the J&K administration has flouted all the rules and regulations and selected blacklisted Aptech for the services. What more can be a moment of displeasure for the youth as their future is handed over to a company with a dubious and poor track record across the country,” social gathering spokesperson Salman Nizami stated.
