Chief Secretary reviews administrative reforms

Srinagar, Aug 20: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Thursday reviewed the functioning and performance of the Administrative Reforms, Inspections (ARI) & Trainings Department, with a focus on key governance and administrative reform initiatives, including finalization of Recruitment Rules, cadre restructuring, resolution of Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) issues, and operational efficiency of the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) and Government Press.
The meeting, attended by Commissioner Secretary, ARI & Trainings Department; Chairperson, J&K BOPEE; General Manager, Government Press; and other senior officers.
Issuing directions for expediting the ongoing reforms, the Chief Secretary called for smooth and time-bound operationalisation of the online DPC Portal, besides ensuring swift completion of Recruitment Rules for all departments and their respective services. He stressed that the digital mechanisms should translate into tangible improvements in administrative efficiency and timely disposal of service-related matters.
The Chief Secretary further directed that a comprehensive mechanism be devised to ensure filling up of all available seats/vacancies in professional courses through BOPEE, with the objective of achieving optimum utilization of the infrastructure, faculty and other resources available in institutions of higher learning across the Union Territory.
The Chief Secretary thereafter took a detailed live demonstration of the DPC Portal’s end-to-end workflow. Developed through BISAG-N under the supervision of the ARI & Trainings Department, the portal is designed to fully digitize and streamline the process of holding DPCs across the Union Territory, thereby reducing procedural delays and ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in processing promotion cases.
During the demonstration, the Chief Secretary reviewed the portal’s multi-tiered workflow, under which cases move seamlessly through designated administrative levels of Maker, Checker and Approver.
He emphasized that the digital platform should help eliminate administrative bottlenecks and facilitate the time-bound conduct of DPCs. The portal has now been formally handed over to the General Administration Department (GAD), which will function as the Super Admin and issue necessary circular instructions for its immediate adoption and onboarding of all Government departments.
The meeting was also apprised of the Online Portal for Processing Recruitment Rules, developed in collaboration with BISAG-N. The portal has successfully cleared its security audit through the Information Technology Department, incorporates active SMS alerts, is hosted at the State Data Centre and is being integrated with the e-Office system.
Commissioner Secretary, ARI & Trainings, Shabnam Kamili, apprised the meeting of the ongoing modernization of service guidelines. She informed that the Standing Committee has held 61 meetings since January 2024 and has cleared Recruitment Rules for 36 services, while another 13 services have been cleared through Executive Orders. Preliminary meetings have also been concluded for 88 additional services.
On human resource optimization, the Commissioner Secretary stated that a structured calendar is being devised for reviewing individual departments with a view to undertaking budget-neutral cadre restructuring and resolving MTS-related issues in consultation with the concerned line departments.
The meeting was further informed that the Union Territory’s progress under the national iGOT Karmayogi platform has received appreciation from the Capacity Building Commission, Government of India. The ARI & Trainings Department has successfully onboarded participants and trained 222 officers and officials through five intensive one-day Karmayogi Kartavya Karyakram batches conducted by certified State Master Trainers.
Reviewing the functioning of the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), the meeting was informed that the Board has transitioned completely to digital operations, with all counselling rounds for the 2026-27 session being conducted through the online e-Counselling platform. An advance examination calendar has also been issued, while examination centres are being expanded beyond Jammu and Srinagar to facilitate students from rural and remote areas.
The meeting also reviewed intake trends across various professional courses and noted high seat occupancy in streams including M.Sc. Nursing, Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing and CET Engineering. It was observed that the Higher Education Department may engage with AICTE for suitable modifications in course streams in line with emerging market requirements, enabling BOPEE to conduct additional counselling rounds wherever necessary.
Taking stock of the functioning of the Government Presses, the meeting was informed that 751 out of 1,146 printing jobs received—65.53 per cent—have already been executed by the Srinagar and Jammu presses. The two presses have generated combined revenue of Rs 500.78 lakh against a target of Rs 1,300 lakh for the financial year 2026-27.
The meeting also deliberated upon several pending administrative matters, including the proposed constitution of the J&K Administrative Reforms Commission, delegation of powers to the Director, Press; recovery of Rs 12.50 crore in outstanding printing charges from various departments; and the possibility of outsourcing heavy printing workloads to ensure uninterrupted operations of the Government Press.