Srinagar, Feb 9: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday disclosed in the Assembly that it has collected ₹48.88 crore as application fees from unemployed youth over the past two years through recruitment agencies—Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB).
The information was shared in response to a question raised by Pulwama MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para, bringing renewed focus on the financial burden faced by job seekers amid rising unemployment.
According to the government’s reply, during the financial year 2023–24, a total of ₹14.48 crore was collected as application fees. Of this amount, ₹7.39 crore was generated by JKPSC, while ₹7.09 crore was collected by JKSSB.
The revenue from application fees witnessed a sharp increase in 2024–25, with JKPSC collecting over ₹10 crore, and JKSSB generating more than ₹23 crore from job aspirants applying for various posts.
Cumulatively, the amount collected by the two recruiting agencies over the last two years stands at ₹48.88 crore, the government informed the House.
Providing details of recruitment activity, the government stated that around 10,400 posts were advertised by JKSSB during this period, while JKPSC advertised nearly 1,750 posts across different departments and services.
The disclosure has sparked political and public debate, with concerns being raised over the growing dependence on application fees as a revenue source, particularly at a time when thousands of educated youth continue to struggle for stable employment.
Opposition members have sought clarity on the utilisation of the collected amount and demanded relief measures, including rationalisation or waiver of application fees for economically weaker sections.
The government, however, maintained that recruitment agencies function as per established norms and that large-scale recruitment is underway to fill vacancies across departments.
