Judicial Services Aspirants Cry Foul, Seek Inquiry into JKPSC Results
Srinagar, Jan 21 (KNC): Aspirants of the Jammu and Kashmir Judicial Services on Wednesday held a protest outside the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) office, alleging irregularities, regional imbalance and lack of transparency in the recently declared Civil Judge (Junior Division) mains examination results.
The protest erupted a day after the JKPSC announced the results of the Judicial Services Mains Examination 2025 on January 20, shortlisting 124 candidates for the viva voce stage out of 1,016 candidates who had qualified the preliminary examination. Several aspirants from the Kashmir division alleged that only 13 candidates from the Valley were selected for interviews, raising concerns of discrimination and exclusion.
According to the protesting aspirants as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, the recruitment process was initiated through a notification dated May 14, 2025, for filling 42 posts of Civil Judge (Junior Division). The preliminary examination, originally scheduled for September 21, was later conducted on September 28 across the Union Territory. Candidates claimed that nearly 600 of those who cleared the prelims were from the Kashmir division, reflecting substantial participation at the initial stage.
They expressed shock over the drastic fall in representation after the mains examination, which was held between November 16 and November 26, 2025. Questioning the evaluation process, aspirants said the declaration of results within about six weeks was highly questionable, considering that nearly 10,000 answer scripts were required to be assessed.
Speaking to reporters, one of the protesting candidates clarified that the agitation was not against merit or any particular region, but aimed at seeking fairness and transparency. He said the wide disparity in the results had cast serious doubts on the credibility of the evaluation process, especially when other competitive examinations in the Union Territory were still awaiting results.
The aspirants further alleged that an entire examination centre in Srinagar reportedly recorded zero successful candidates, raising apprehensions that answer scripts from the centre may not have been evaluated properly. They termed the outcome improbable and demanded an independent inquiry.
The protesters sought immediate disclosure of the marking scheme, publication of individual marks, centre-wise data and a comprehensive review of the selection process. They appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Minister and the JKPSC authorities to intervene, urging that the interview process be kept on hold until their grievances are addressed.
Several aspirants said many candidates were making what could be their last attempt due to age and eligibility limits, and alleged that an unfair evaluation had jeopardised their future. They warned of intensified protests and legal recourse if corrective measures were not taken, stating that any lack of transparency in judicial service recruitment erodes public confidence in the justice system. (KNC)
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