J&K amends recruitment rules for Police, Fire Force & Prisons

SSB replaces Departmental Boards

Nishikant Khajuria

JAMMU, July 1: More than 22 months since re-organization of Jammu and Kashmir State into two Union Territories and scrapping of the special status under Article 370, the Government of J&K UT has amended the rules for recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir Police, Fire Force and Prisons (Subordinate).
Three separate notifications in this regard were issued today by the Home Department effecting amendments in Jammu and Kashmir Police Rules, 1960; Jammu and Kashmir Fire Force Regulations and Recruitment Rules, 1999 and Jammu and Kashmir Prisons (Subordinate) service Recruitment Rules, 2021.
As per the amendments, the Departmental Recruitment Boards in Police, Fire Force and Prisons have been substituted by the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (SSB), which shall make all the appointments to non-gazetted ranks by direct recruitment.
The appointments shall be made by the appointing authority on consideration of recommendations of the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board (SSB), except in respect of the posts for which process of selection has already been initiated before issuance of the notifications.
Further, the seniority list of Sub-Inspectors appointed after issuance of amendment notification against any direct recruitment posts in the Executive and the Armed Wing of the Police Department shall be combined and maintained as per the applicable rules.
For direct appointment as Sub-Inspector, the candidate must be a domicile of Jammu and Kashmir; should have attained the age of 18 years but not crossed the age of 28 years on Ist of January of the year in which notification inviting application is issued by the SSB and he must be holding a Bachelor’s degree of a recognized university.
The direct appointment to the non-gazetted ranks in Police shall be made now onwards at the beginning of a year, so that the process may be completed at least one month before the commencement of the session for the Intermediate Council in the Police Training School, which is normally on the first of April every year.
For the direct appointment, the candidates are required to appear in a written test to be conducted by SSB and then the shortlisted ones will have to meet the Physical Standards and undergo the Physical Endurance Test.
The Physical Standard Test and Physical Endurance Test shall be of qualifying nature only, for which a committee shall be constituted by the SSB in consultation with the Home Department.
The amendments in the J&K Police Rules, Prisons (Subordinate) Service Recruitment Rules and Fire Force Regulations and Recruitment Rules have been notified as the Statutory Orders S.O 214, S.O 215 and S.O 216, respectively.