KAS age issue bane or boon

Khan Aatif Abdullah

Kashmir Administrative Services was at par with other state Civil services of the country but to our surprise why people at the helm of affairs tried to take it at par with IAS, however IAS is all India services and promises growth in career .

KAS officer is appointed only as BDO or Tehsildar or Undersecretary and all these posts carry equal pay and has grade pay of 4800 but why people recommended the pattern of syllabus and examination at par with UPSC.we need to ponder either the people who recommended the said pattern contained under SRO 103 were ill minded and were in favour that no other person should appear in exams coming from average family background and with local schooling.

To my knowledge those who recommended the Copy pasted SRO 103 having themselves qualified under the old pattern, they have forgotten the reality and consider themselves to be the king makers their selfish attitude have paved the way for misery of the society as a whole and it is because of their selfish interests we are suffering day and day out.

When several Public Service Commissions of the country have age criteria 40 for OM why the need was felt to keep it 32 for J&K and further SRO 103 was invoked only during the regime of Mehbooba Mufti led Government and at that time we were writing Mains of KAS batch 2016 in 2018 and still we resisted and represented our case before the honourable Chief Minister of the erstwhile state and we were given patient hearing and SRO274 was invoked and relaxation was granted by keeping 37 years age for OM , 39 years for reserved and 40 years for disabled.

But recently Government of J&K came out with notification of 257 civil services posts with break up as 56 junior scale KAS,141 KPS and 59 Accounts services posts which are to be advertised soon . But to our surprise these posts are to be advertised under SRO103 which is sheer injustice with aspirants who are preparing since last 5 years without any break and have appeared only twice in exams which is not equal opportunity for public employment under article 16 of the Constitution of India. The Circumstances of the J&K have also remained worst during past few years and two years were consumed by State reorganisation act 2019 which repealed article 370 and 2020 was consumed by Corona virus.

We the aspirants of the J&K want amendment in the age clause of SRO103 and aspire to keep the age criteria for OM as 40 and adjust reserved categories accordingly. Age clause need to be amended any how even if Government is planning to grant age relaxation to aspirants as the matter might take an ugly turn, hope every aspirant of the J&K is given level playing field.

Author is research scholar in public Administration and can be reached out at aatifabdullahkhan@gmail.com