The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) announced its Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) will proceed as scheduled on Sunday, December 7 . JKPSC chairperson A K Choudhary confirmed the schedule on Saturday, despite ongoing demands for age relaxation and calls to postpone the exam.
The decision follows a dispute between the Chief Minister’s office and the Lieutenant Governor’s administration regarding the age relaxation proposal. Political parties and aspirants had advocated for the exam’s postponement, citing various concerns.
Chief Minister Urged Postponement
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah formally requested the JKPSC to consider postponing the CCE. In a letter to the JKPSC chairman, Abdullah highlighted significant travel disruptions caused by flight cancellations across the region. He stated these issues were “further compounded” by uncertainty over a delayed age relaxation proposal.
Abdullah emphasized that age relaxation is an “enabling provision” extended multiple times in the past. He argued that the combined factors placed “unprecedented mental and logistical stress” on candidates. The Chief Minister urged the commission to postpone the exam for a “reasonable duration” to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for all.
Lieutenant Governor’s Stance on Delay
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha refuted claims that his office, referred to as Lok Bhavan, caused a delay in the age relaxation decision. Sinha clarified on X that his office received the age relaxation file on December 2 .
Sinha stated he returned the file the same day with a specific query. The query asked whether it was “logistically possible” to conduct the exam on December 7 by incorporating modifications to eligibility criteria at such a late stage. He noted that four days later, his office had received no follow-up response from the government.
Political Parties React
The ruling National Conference (NC) criticized the Lieutenant Governor’s office for raising queries on a process they claimed had been followed for years without objection. NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq labeled the action a “deliberate attempt to delay the process.” Sadiq stressed the elected government’s transparent intent, having already sent the age relaxation proposal and the Chief Minister’s request to postpone the exams.
Sadiq reiterated the NC’s clear stance: age relaxation must be granted, and exams must be postponed. Srinagar Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi also wrote to the JKPSC chairman, requesting a CCE postponement due to severe travel difficulties faced by many aspirants.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti urged both the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister to resolve the issue promptly. Mufti stated that CCE aspirants were caught in a “tussle” between the two officials, asking for “basic fairness” regarding age relaxation and a reasonable exam schedule.
Senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami also voiced concerns. He highlighted the disadvantage faced by aspirants if the exam proceeded while the crucial age relaxation decision remained pending. Tarigami pointed out that many candidates traveling from outside Jammu and Kashmir were stranded due to flight cancellations, advocating for the exam’s deferment until the approval process concluded.
JKPSC Examination Schedule
The JKPSC published the official advertisement for the Combined Competitive Examination on August 22 . A notice announcing the exam date for December 7 was subsequently issued on November 6 .