Srinagar, Aug 24 — The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on Sunday cancelled the OMR-based examination for the post of Junior Engineer (Electrical) in the Power Development Department, citing weather-related issues at one centre. The test was scheduled across 35 venues in Jammu and Srinagar, but while it went ahead in 34, one venue failed to conduct it—forcing the board to announce that the exam stands scrapped and will be held afresh.
The official explanation, however, has done little to calm tempers. Earlier in the day, aspirants staged protests in Srinagar, alleging large-scale mismanagement and even a paper leak. Videos circulating online showed students with OMR sheets and mobile phones inside exam centres, further fueling suspicion over the exam’s integrity.
The controversy has triggered strong political backlash. National Conference MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhulla Mehdi, said the fiasco reflected the collapse of the system under the current dispensation. “Aspirants travelled from remote corners of J&K with hope, only to face yet another collapse of the J&K SSB system… Instead of safeguarding the future of our youth, books are being banned, schools taken over, and unresolved issues of reservation are taking a further toll,” he posted on X, adding that the elected government must rethink its approach.
Pulwama MLA and PDP leader Waheed Para also lashed out, releasing a video along with a sharp statement: “Scam after scam, and now another SSB paper leak. Students are seen openly trying to solve problems, yet after banning books and locking schools, the government’s sale of exam papers is another blow to J&K’s youth.”
The repeated controversies around recruitment exams have deepened the sense of frustration among job seekers in the Union Territory, with critics warning of a growing trust deficit between institutions and the young population.
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