In a shocking display of bureaucratic inefficiency, the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has finally released the selection list for the post of Lab Assistant—ten years after the original advertisement was published in 2015. This decade-long delay has once again exposed the lethargic functioning of JKSSB and the Jammu and Kashmir government, raising serious concerns about their commitment to the future of the region’s youth.
Ten Years of Uncertainty and Betrayal
The recruitment process, which should have been completed within a reasonable timeframe, was marred by legal battles, administrative lethargy, and a blatant disregard for the aspirations of thousands of candidates. The initial advertisement, issued on September 1, 2015, invited applications for 46 Lab Assistant posts under the Health and Medical Education Department. Written tests were conducted, followed by interviews in March 2017, only for the selection list to be put in abeyance in 2020 due to pending litigations.
While legal challenges are an understandable obstacle in any selection process, the authorities’ handling of the case reflects an astounding level of incompetence. It took nearly three years for the High Court to dismiss the pending cases in February 2023, yet the JKSSB and the administration took another full year to take action, with the final selection list being approved only on February 27, 2025.
Delayed Justice is Denied Justice
A decade is an eternity in a job aspirant’s life. Many of those who applied in 2015 have now aged beyond the eligibility criteria, some have moved on to other professions, while others have been forced into unemployment or underemployment due to the government’s failure to deliver in a timely manner. It is unconscionable that the JKSSB has allowed such an excruciating delay, playing with the futures of young individuals who had pinned their hopes on these government jobs.
A Pattern of Systemic Failure
This is not an isolated case. The JKSSB has time and again failed to uphold its responsibility of conducting recruitment transparently and efficiently. From paper leak scams to exam cancellations and unexplained delays, the recruitment board has consistently let down the youth of Jammu and Kashmir. The fact that the Lab Assistant recruitment process took ten years to conclude raises legitimate questions about the board’s credibility and efficiency.
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Who Will Be Held Accountable?
While the government conveniently hides behind legal technicalities and administrative red tape, there is no accountability for the thousands of dreams crushed in the process. No official has been held responsible for this inordinate delay, nor has there been any apology or compensation for the candidates who lost valuable years of their lives waiting for a recruitment process that should have been completed in two to three years at most.
This debacle must serve as a wake-up call for the administration. The JKSSB needs a complete overhaul to ensure that such delays never happen again. A robust timeline must be implemented for every recruitment process, and mechanisms should be put in place to address legal challenges efficiently without bringing recruitments to a standstill for years.
The youth of Jammu and Kashmir deserve better. The government must act now to restore faith in its institutions before another decade is lost to inefficiency and indifference.