23 JKAS officers likely to be inducted into IAS soon

Jammu, Apr 6: The long-pending induction of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) officers into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) has entered its final phase, with a key selection meeting expected later this month, officials said.
Sources said the Union Public Service Commission has designated one of its members to head the selection committee for the exercise. The panel will also include senior officials of the Union Territory administration such as the Chief Secretary, an Additional Chief Secretary and the Administrative Secretary of the General Administration Department.
Around 23 vacancies pertaining to the years 2019 and 2020 have been referred for consideration, and the meeting is likely to take place in Jammu by the end of April.
The induction process had remained delayed for several years due to legal complications and disputes related to seniority. Officials, however, indicated that the remaining issues are unlikely to stall the process. Options such as proceeding with inductions subject to court outcomes or reserving certain slots are under consideration.
The last such exercise was conducted in August 2022, when 16 officers were inducted into the IAS. Prior to that, the process had remained stalled for over a decade.
Officials said the officers under consideration largely belong to the 1999 batch and are expected to be allotted the AGMUT cadre, under which officers serve in multiple Union Territories and states.
The government is also examining measures to streamline the induction process and make it a regular annual exercise to address stagnation among JKAS officers and ensure timely career progression, they added. (KNS)