The facts put by the Chief Minister in the Legislative Assembly that over 32,000 Government posts remain vacant across Jammu and Kashmir’s departments expose a paradox in the Union Territory’s employment landscape. Even as nearly 3.7 lakh educated youth are registered with District Employment Exchanges, critical departments like Health and Medical Education, Public Works, and Agriculture face acute manpower shortages. This administrative disconnect between available human resources and unfilled Government roles underscores a systemic inefficiency that demands immediate redress. A breakdown of the vacancies shows that many of these posts are in sectors essential to public welfare and development. For instance, 7,851 vacancies in the Health Department come at a time when access to quality healthcare remains a persistent concern in many rural areas of the UT. Likewise, the Public Works Department’s 3,759 unfilled positions directly affect the pace of infrastructure development. The Government’s record of referring over 65,000 posts to recruitment agencies in the past decade is notable, yet thousands of posts remain unfilled. Delays in recruitment processes, bureaucratic hurdles, and lack of synchronisation between departments and recruitment boards have slowed down progress. The new directive to set recruitment targets within a year, starting November 2024, is welcome, but past delays call for cautious optimism.
Efforts to address unemployment through self-employment schemes like Mumkin, Tejaswini, PMEGP, and the Mission YUVA initiative signal a broader strategy beyond Government jobs. Facilitating over 9.5 lakh self-employment opportunities in four years and planning to support 5 lakh more youths is commendable. However, such schemes must be complemented by robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure real impact and sustainability. Timely recruitment is crucial, as many deserving youth surpass the age limit and lose out on valuable opportunities. Meanwhile, the issue of regularising over 60,000 daily wagers and casual labourers remains unresolved, pending recommendations from a high-level committee. This humanitarian and administrative challenge needs to be tackled with urgency. Bridging the gap between job seekers and vacant posts, speeding up recruitment, and strengthening self-employment avenues must go hand in hand to create a truly inclusive and opportunity-rich ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir.
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