A row has broken out over the Masters Degrees issued by the two Agricultural Universities of the State. Over 200 degree holders from these universities and other private colleges have been declared non-eligible for applying to the posts of Horticulture Development Officers in the Horticulture department owing to change in the nomenclature by the Government. Rules of recruitment changed in 2002 stipulate that required qualification for these posts was M.Sc Horticulture and in case M.Sc candidates were not available, B.Sc Agriculture/B.Sc Horticulture would be acceptable. After this decision, the PSC advertised 104 posts of Horticulture Development Officers under new rules. Aggrieved candidates knocked at the door of the High Court in 2009. On the court intervention, aggrieved candidates were also interviewed but kept recruitment of 7 candidates withheld. The decision in these cases is pending.
Selection from the candidates who responded to the advertisement of the PSC has also sparked controversy. The PSC has selected candidates with Masters Degree in Horticulture but left out others who had degrees from State Universities of the country despite having studied same courses. For instance the recruitment of Khursheed Ahmad Mir, M Sc (Vegetable Science) from Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana was kept withheld under HC directions by the PSC. Another candidate Manzoor Ahmad Wani with same degree, M Sc Horticulture (Vegetable Science), from Allahabad Agriculture, Deemed University was selected.
In view of the change in rules, SKUAST-Kashmir ordered change in the nomenclature of the degrees issued to PG students of Horticulture faculty in 2011 while SKUAST, Jammu did not bring about this kind of change, which , however has resulted in students from Jammu suffering the consequences. The SKUAST-K renamed the M Sc (Agri) Pomology as M Sc Horticulture (Fruit Science), M Sc (Agri) Floriculture and landscaping as M Sc Horticulture (Floriculture and landscaping Architecture) and M Sc (Agri) Olericulture as renamed as M Sc Horticulture (Vegetable Science)
In order to help the students of batches between 2006 and 2011, SKUAST-K declared the degrees issued prior to change of nomenclature in 2011 equal to those issued before. It is important that uniformity in nomenclature and degrees is brought about in the two Agricultural Universities of the State and the candidates who have almost become over aged need to be meted out justice.
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