Jammu, Dec 28, : The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Jammu has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board to permit 241 unemployed graduates, who are over the prescribed age limit, to participate in the ongoing selection process for the posts of Police Sub-Inspector.
The application was filed by the graduates seeking age relaxation.
The bench, comprising Member (Judicial) Rajinder Singh Dogra and Member (Administrative) Ram Mohan Johri, issued the directive after hearing arguments from Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed and his team, representing the applicants.
The tribunal as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust acknowledged that the applicants had missed the opportunity to apply earlier due to the Home Department’s delay in referring vacancies to the JKSSB, leading to the overage status of the candidates.
Advocate Ahmed argued that the delay in the selection process, which lasted more than three years, had left the applicants overaged, despite the fact that they met the eligibility criteria at the time of the previous selection process. He referred to SRO-166 of 2005, which mandates that vacancies be referred to the JKPSC/SSB by January 15 each year, a requirement that the Home Department had failed to comply with, further delaying the recruitment process.
The tribunal, while allowing the applicants to participate in the selection process, made it clear that their participation would be at their own risk and responsibility.
Furthermore, the results of their selection will remain in a sealed cover until further orders from the tribunal.
The CAT’s decision aligns with a recent order by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, which similarly directed the JKSSB to allow candidates to take part in the selection process despite the age issue, also emphasizing that the results should be held pending further legal considerations. [KNT]
