End of meritocracy? As J&K Govt advertises JE (Electrical) posts, only 40.07% jobs are for Open Merit category

Srinagar: As J&K government  has advertised new 292 Junior Engineer (Electrical) positions in  Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department, the breakdown of these posts by category reveals that only 40.07% allocation for Open Merit (OM) candidates, while 59.93% of the seats are reserved under various categories.

The job advertisement for Junior Engineer (Electrical) posts in Jammu & Kashmir’s Power Development Department includes three cadres: Jammu Division, Kashmir Division, and UT Cadre. The Open Merit (OM) percentage varies slightly across these cadres.

Jammu Division cadre has 40.85% of jobs are Open Merit. Kashmir Division cadre has 39.53% of jobs are Open Merit, while the UT Cadre has 40.22% of jobs are Open Merit.

With J&K now having a  much lower share of open competition jobs, many qualified candidates from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions have expressed deep concern that meritorious candidates may now  struggle to secure government jobs, leading to a possible talent drain.

“Given the technical nature of these positions, ensuring competency through merit-based selection is crucial for maintaining public sector efficiency. I wish this government could make the necessary changes in this unsustainable policy”, says Narender Kumar, a retired engineer from Jammu city.

Former senior J&K officials who spoke to Ziraat Times on this matter maintain that public sector efficiency relies heavily on the technical skills, experience, and capabilities of engineers, especially in a strategic sector like power distribution.

“With only 40.07% of the positions open for merit-based competition, a significant portion of highly qualified candidates may be left out due to reservation quotas”, said Malik Nissar, a former Assistant Executive Engineer.

While affirmative action like the Reservation Policy in a state like J&K is believed to play a crucial role in social upliftment, experts believe excessive reliance on quota-based selection over merit in a sector like energy might lead to lower competency levels in government services.

“In a field where precision and expertise are critical, prioritizing reservations over technical qualifications could result in weaker public infrastructure, inefficient power distribution, and delays in service delivery”, said another senior engineer.

A major concern among highly skilled and deserving candidates is the limited number of Open Merit seats. With almost 60% of the vacancies reserved, many candidates with superior qualifications may struggle to secure government jobs, they worry.

“The problem is that the talented engineers may move to the private sector or migrate outside J&K, resulting in a loss of technical expertise in government institutions. The reduced weightage of merit in recruitment may discourage excellence and competitiveness among aspiring engineers”, opined Gurmeet Singh, another retired engineer.

While the proponents of the current reservation policies believe this practice is essential for ensuring inclusivity, sceptics believe it is crucial to maintain a balance to prevent governance inefficiencies. A merit-based evaluation system, with limited and rationalized quotas, could provide equal opportunities while ensuring that the most capable individuals are selected for key positions, they maintain.

Today there are strong calls for periodic review of Reservation Policies in J&K to ensure they align with governance needs.

This is a strong public support for the introduction of a performance-based model where reservations are gradually reduced based on social and economic progress.

As Jammu & Kashmir aims for economic and infrastructural progress, critics of the current Reservation Policy say that the focus for the current J&K  government should be on crafting a balanced approach to reservation so as to ensure that public services remain efficient while maintaining inclusivity.