Lt Governor ‘scraps shady’ AR, JA recruitment process at KU

Srinagar, Oct 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha has scrapped the recruitment process for Assistant Registrars (AR) and Junior Assistants (JA) at the Kashmir University after “serious complaints” of alleged malpractices, official sources said on Monday.
A top KU administration official confirmed that they have received instructions from LG office on 13th of this month that a fresh advertisement should be issued for appointment of Assistant Registrars and Assistant Controller of Examinations and Junior Assistants.
The directions from LG, who is the Chancellor of KU, have been conveyed less than two months after the Vice Chancellor of KU Dr. Neelofar Hassan Khan wrote to the Chancellor regarding the advertised positions of Assistant Registrars and Junior Assistants. These positions were initially advertised in 2019 and the recruitment process had to be completed within a span of two years as per the University rules. The University however failed to complete the process within the stipulated time frame.
In 2021, the former Vice Chancellor Talat Ahmad gave a special six-month extension to complete the recruitment process after the Registrar moved the proposal of extension, sources said.
‘This time also the University failed to complete the process within six months’.
Sources said, “When the present VC took charge, she referred the matter to the Chancellor for his advice, following which the LG directed that the posts be put to advertisement afresh.”
It also said that the Raj Bhawan had received several serious nature complaints of alleged fraud in the recruitment process of Assistant Registrars and Junior Assistants and grant of allegedly illegal extension to the recruitment process by the former VC without taking the University Council on board.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved aspirants told this news agency that the LG should order a CBI inquiry into this alleged recruitment fraud and fix the responsibility.
“We were misguided by the University officials that the process can be continued beyond two years. We request LG to pass directions for a CBI inquiry in the matter so that officials responsible for playing with the career of youth of J&K are taken to task,” said an aspirant for Junior Assistant.
He said the recruitment process for Junior Assistants was almost complete and only final orders had to be issued.
“We have been punished for none of our fault. We accept LG’s verdict if any wrongdoing has happened in the recruitment process. But why should officials who granted illegal extension or resorted to malpractices in the recruitment process go scot-free? LG should deliver justice by ordering a CBI inquiry into the matter like he did with recruitment of sub-inspectors,” an aspirant said.
The aspirants said if SI recruitment process can be given to CBI for full probe, why the AR, JA recruitment process is not handed over to the CBI to see who resorted to wrongdoing.
They also demanded refund of application fee saying more than 6000 candidates had applied for posts of Junior Assistants and Assistant Registrars and the recruitment process was quashed for no fault of aspirants.