Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 3: Aspirants who have done trade certificate courses in digital photography from various Industrial Training Institutes of the Valley accused the Government of scuttling their chances of getting a Government job by not giving equivalence to their course.
They said whenever there is a vacancy of digital photographer in a Government department; the requisite qualification is one year diploma, instead of the ITI’s Trade Certificate Course. “We have practically been barred from an appointment in any Government department as there is no Diploma course of one year in digital photography conducted anywhere in JK UT”, Faheem Ahmad, a candidate said, continuing that rules like these are beating the Government’s own objectives to cut down unemployment in the Union Territory.
In the latest instance the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums has referred vacancies of the photographer to the Service Selection Board. But they are unable to apply as candidates are required to have completed graduation and a Diploma in Photography. The aspiring candidates claimed they made a representation to the Director, who feigned helplessness saying that the requisite qualification, technical as well as academic, has been prescribed under departmental recruitment rules issued under SRO-248 2015.
Earlier, the Medical Education Department had similarly prescribed 10+2 with One Year Diploma in Digital Photography for vacancies of Junior Photographer referred to JKSSB. A candidate, Abrar Gul, topped the selection list issued by the JKSSB. However, the SSB made his selection conditional on course equivalence which means that the authorities had to declare the one-year Trade Certificate Course equal to a one-year diploma. It is now almost a year and Gul has still not been appointed.
Another candidate Imran said: “Prescribing diploma as requisite qualification for the post of the photographer is akin to asking the candidates from J&K not to apply.” He said that the introduction of the one-year Trade Certificate Course in the UT for providing skill and employment to local youth have been reduced to a farce.
The Union Ministry of Skill Development has introduced a trade certificate course of one-year duration in Digital Photography in the Union Territory. This Trade Certificate Course is conducted by the JK Govt’s Skill Development Department through its Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). The course was introduced as part of the craftsmen /vocational training scheme with the objective of providing professional and technical skills and employability to youth. As many as 50 students do the course every year in J&K.
The candidates have appealed to Government to address the issue urgently and to direct all departments to prescribe ITI trade certificate Course as the requisite technical qualification for the post of photographer. Otherwise, they said, the only option with the govt. would be to wind up the Trade Certificate Course in digital photography so that students do not have to waste their time and the government does not squander its resources.
Meanwhile, candidates have given a written representation regarding the issue to the Commissioner Secretary, GAD. They have appealed to the Lt. Governor for his personal intervention in the matter.
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