SRINAGAR: Students pursuing agriculture degrees from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) have intensified their protests, demanding a clear job policy and immediate recruitment in the relevant government departments. The demonstrators cite a lack of consistent job opportunities and outdated recruitment criteria as primary reasons for their continued agitation.
SKUAST-K Students Voice Grievances Over Job Prospects
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that graduates and post-graduates from SKUAST-K have been vocal about their concerns regarding employment. Protests have been ongoing, with students highlighting that despite completing professional degrees designed to equip them with specialized skills, they are facing significant hurdles in securing government positions. The students contend that their degrees are not adequately recognized or considered for available roles, leading to widespread frustration among the educated youth.
Recent demonstrations saw participants, including those with Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in agriculture, converging to voice their demands. They are seeking justice and equitable employment opportunities, emphasizing that their educational qualifications should translate into viable career paths. The protestors have expressed that their demonstrations are not against the university but rather a plea to the government to address their long-standing recruitment issues.
Concerns Over Recruitment Policies and Eligibility Criteria
A significant point of contention for the protesting students revolves around the existing recruitment policies and eligibility criteria for various posts within the Agriculture Department. Reports suggest that for years, there has been a substantial backlog of vacant gazetted and non-gazetted positions, with particular concern over the lack of advertised posts for Agriculture Extension Officers since 2007. This stagnation in recruitment has left hundreds of qualified graduates without prospects.
Students allege that certain regulations, such as SRO 433 and SRO 442, have contributed to the compromised recruitment system. They claim that these policies, along with what they describe as archaic job policies, do not align with the modern courses offered by universities like SKUAST. Specifically, there are grievances that individuals with lower-grade qualifications are being promoted to positions that should be filled by specialized agriculture graduates, further exacerbating the unemployment crisis among degree holders.
Furthermore, graduates in specialized fields such as horticulture and forestry have also raised similar concerns. They point to recruitment rules that allegedly favor diploma holders over degree holders for specific positions, questioning the rationale behind eligibility criteria that do not exclusively recognize their specialized education. The forestry graduates, in particular, have been protesting for a decade over perceived flawed recruitment rules and the scarcity of jobs in their sector.
Call for Policy Reforms and Immediate Action
The agitating students are urging the Jammu and Kashmir government and relevant recruiting agencies to undertake immediate reforms in the job policy and recruitment procedures. Their demands include the revocation of certain SROs, a review and amendment of eligibility criteria to better reflect current educational qualifications, and the swift advertisement and filling of all vacant positions within the Agriculture and allied departments. The students believe that a robust recruitment framework will not only provide them with much-needed employment but also contribute to enhancing agricultural productivity and serving the broader community.
The protestors have indicated their intent to continue their demonstrations until their demands are met, emphasizing the urgency of the situation for their future and the potential impact on the agricultural sector in the Union Territory.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
