Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
As many as 38 recruitment examinations of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) are pending, including 32 that relate to the 2025-26 period, according to data placed before the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
The figures, provided by the Government in response to an unstarred question raised by MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para, show that the Commission’s examination backlog increased sharply during 2025-26 after recording two pending examinations in 2023-24 and none in 2024-25.
The data further shows that JKPSC collected Rs 28.76 lakh in fees in connection with pending and cancelled examinations during the period covered by the response.
The backlog stood at 34 examinations as of March 31, 2026, before four additional examinations became pending from April 1, 2026 onwards.
According to the figures, JKPSC had two pending examinations in 2023-24, while no examination was pending in 2024-25. The number rose substantially to 32 in 2025-26, followed by four examinations pending from April 1, 2026 onwards.
The Commission collected Rs 7.58 lakh in fees associated with pending examinations in 2023-24, followed by Rs 13.51 lakh in 2025-26 and Rs 7.68 lakh since April 1, 2026.
The data also records one cancelled examination during 2025-26. The recruitment for the post of Superintendent Jail in the Home Department was subsequently withdrawn after 148 applications had been received, resulting in Rs 1.48 lakh being collected in application fees.
Despite the pending examinations, the Commission conducted a substantial number of recruitment tests during the period covered by the data.
JKPSC conducted 245 recruitment examinations for 4,961 advertised posts, attracting 2,76,065 applications. Of these, 1,85,808 candidates appeared for the examinations.
The Commission collected Rs 24.43 crore in examination fees during the period.
In 2023-24, JKPSC conducted 103 examinations for 2,586 posts. As many as 88,964 applications were received, with 63,919 candidates appearing. The Commission collected Rs 7.40 crore in fees.
The following year, the Commission conducted 49 examinations for 618 posts. It received 58,341 applications, while 33,153 candidates appeared for the examinations. Fee collections stood at Rs 10.51 crore.
In 2025-26, JKPSC conducted 64 examinations involving 1,400 posts. These attracted 1,15,523 applications, of which 78,166 candidates appeared. The Commission collected Rs 5.74 crore in fees during the year.
Since April 1, 2026, JKPSC has conducted another 29 examinations for 357 posts. These examinations received 13,237 applications, with 10,570 candidates appearing.
The data presented to the Assembly also provided details of recruitment examinations conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) during the three financial years.
JKSSB conducted 124 recruitment examinations for 11,003 advertised posts during 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26.
The examinations attracted 18,36,056 applications, while 9,38,777 candidates appeared. The Board collected Rs 89.50 crore in application fees during the three-year period and refunded Rs 1.36 crore.
In 2023-24, JKSSB conducted 17 examinations for 4,228 posts and received 6,99,261 applications.
The Board conducted 26 examinations for 5,044 posts in 2024-25, attracting 7,99,523 applications.
In 2025-26, the number of examinations conducted by JKSSB rose to 81, covering 1,731 posts. The Board received 3,37,272 applications during the year and collected Rs 59.27 crore in fees. It refunded Rs 1.22 crore during the same period.
While JKSSB reported no pending examinations, it said nine examinations were postponed during 2024-25 and three during 2025-26.
According to the Government’s response, the postponed examinations were subsequently rescheduled and conducted. The Board attributed some postponements to exigencies such as bad weather.
The position contrasts with the JKPSC data, which records 38 recruitment examinations as pending, with the overwhelming majority relating to 2025-26.
The Government also informed the Assembly that JKPSC, with assistance from the National Informatics Centre (NIC), was developing an online mechanism for processing refunds in cases involving withdrawal of posts or multiple payments.
The system is expected to become operational shortly, according to the response.
Under the J&K PSC Conduct of Examination Rules, 2022, refunds are permissible in specified circumstances, including the death of a candidate before appearing for an examination, multiple payments and withdrawal of posts by the indenting department.
The Government said JKSSB had already refunded Rs 1,35,75,500, with refunds processed after the concerned posts are formally withdrawn by the respective indenting department.
The figures presented in the Assembly provide a snapshot of the scale of recruitment activity handled by the two major recruiting bodies in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the volume of applications and fees involved.
While JKPSC conducted hundreds of examinations covering thousands of advertised posts during the period, the 38 pending examinations remain a significant component of its recruitment workload, with 32 of them originating in 2025-26.
The Government’s response also indicates that steps are being taken to streamline the refund process through an online system, particularly in cases where posts are withdrawn or candidates make multiple payments.
The data was presented as part of the Assembly’s scrutiny of recruitment examinations conducted by JKPSC, JKSSB and other recruiting agencies during the past three financial years.
