3-4 Members to be posted shortly
*Minimum, Maximum marks fixed for transparency
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 8: The Public Services Commission (PSC) will get three to four members shortly while appointment of the Chairperson could take some time as the Union Territory Government is contemplating appointment of a senior serving officer to the post after retirement.
The PSC has sanctioned strength of a Chairman and eight Members, who, as per the Business and Procedure rules, decide all confidential and procedural matters relating to the business of the Commission, including the work of fixation of schedules for interviews and examinations.
Presently, the PSC is without the Chairman as last head of the body, responsible for selection of Gazetted Officers including Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) Satish Chandra Mishra, a former IAS officer, retired in November 2023 after serving for about 17 months. Of sanctioned strength of eight, there is only one member (Tariq Ahmed Khan, former Director General Planning) now serving in the Constitutional body. Last member to retire in the PSC was Zubair Ahmed Raza, a former Judge who completed his term on January 10 this year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that nearly half a dozen names are under consideration of the Jammu and Kashmir Government for appointment as the PSC Members.
The Chairperson under consideration, as per the officials, is a senior officer who is due to retire in next few months. His posting may take some time but by then, 3-4 Members are likely to be cleared by the UT Government after obtaining approval from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Government is concerned about the delay in some of the examinations in absence of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission, they said and added that with the appointment of members, the body will become functional.
“This was for the first time that list of selected candidates was declared within three hours of last interview,” the sources said.
Asserting that there was complete transparent system in place now in the PSC, they said earlier a topper in written examinations was given 70 out of 250 marks while those at the bottom got 240 out of 250 marks to topple the mandate.
“Now, the candidates get minimum of 140 marks and maximum of 180 marks out of 250 to ensure that those who have done well in the written examinations get weightage,” the sources said.
As per the legal framework applicable to Jammu & Kashmir after August 5, 2019, a member of the PSC cannot hold the office beyond 62 years of age. Under the Constitution of India, a member of the State Public Service Commission can hold the office for a term of six years or till the age of 62 years, whichever is earlier.
Following the operationalisation of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh UTs on October 31, 2019, the restructuring of the PSC took place. Satish Chandra assumed the role of the reconstituted PSC’s first Chairman in June 2020, nearly seven months later. He retired in November 2023.
The list of retirements from the reconstituted Commission include former Judge Syed Iqbal Aga on January 15, 2022, Samir Bharti on January 28, 2022, Subash Gupta on March 28, 2022, Prof Showkat Ahmad Zargar on April 3, 2022, Incharge Chairman Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone on June 1, 2022, Desraj on December 15, 2022, Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba on February 11, 2023 and Chairman Satish Chandra on November 19, 2023.
Regarding the delays in examinations, sources said that the primary cause is the absence of a Chairman, who holds the authority to make decisions related to examinations, and the current void in leadership is not only impacting the department’s operations but also causing concerns among students.
The early appointment of a new Chairman and Members is seen as crucial to expedite the Commission’s work. However, as per the sources, the senior most Member of the Commission can be designated as officiating Chairperson till the appointment of new one.
JKAS Mains examinations was scheduled to start from February 20 this year but so far the PSC hasn’t been able to even invite applications.
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