Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: The Administrative Reforms, Inspection and Trainings Department (ARI & Trainings) of Jammu and Kashmir has issued new guidelines to streamline the process of recruitment in Government Departments, emphasizing the finalization of recruitment rules and the use of executive orders in critical situations.
An order issued in this context said that the business of ARI & Trainings is conducted in accordance with the J&K Business Rules, and it is responsible for coordinating and finalizing recruitment rules across all Government Departments.
It said despite repeated urgings from ARI & Trainings, some departments have failed to adhere to the necessary timelines for updating or creating recruitment rules.
To address urgent recruitment needs, the General Administration Department, in consultation with the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, has allowed departments to issue executive orders for filling critical posts where no formal recruitment rules exist or where existing methods need revision.
This interim measure is valid for six months, within which departments must finalize formal recruitment rules, ordered the Government.
Further, the new guidelines define critical posts as those sanctioned positions with no existing recruitment methods, positions that have remained vacant, and those essential for the functioning of the Government and public service delivery.
Critical posts also include those where current recruitment methods are outdated or ambiguous. However, posts requiring only minor changes, such as adjustments in service length or nomenclature, are excluded from this category.
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The Government ordered that the departments must justify the critical nature of these posts and the need for executive orders by providing detailed job responsibilities, qualifications, and cadre strength.
“They must also ensure that the proposed recruitment methods promote equal opportunities and avoid discrimination,” ordered the Government.
The guidelines further stipulate that the ratio between direct recruitment and promotions should be judiciously balanced, considering job nature, qualifications, experience and promotion prospects.
The draft executive orders must align with current requirements and serve as interim measures until formal rules are established, ordered the Government.
The Government also directed that the departments should verify that these posts do not conflict with recruitment methods in other establishments and that the sanctioned strength of posts is not exceeded.
“They must also clearly outline the minimum and desirable qualifications and experience required for direct recruitment and ensures that promotion methods are consistent with existing rules,” directed the Government.
For Gazetted cadre posts, prior concurrence from the J&K Public Service Commission is mandatory.
Once vetted by the ARI & Trainings Department, the draft executive orders also require approval from the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, ordered the Government.
“Departments must certify that there are no legal impediments or pending court cases related to the recruitment process,” read the order issued by the Government.
A committee, constituted by the General Administration Department, as per the order, will finalize and vet the draft executive orders within one month of receiving complete proposals.
These orders will be valid for six months, during which time departments must submit formal recruitment rules for review, it said.
Existing executive orders will cease to be effective after six months unless revalidated or replaced by formal rules, added the order.
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