JKSSB aspirants for various examinations are outraged that the government awarded the contract for conducting the exams to a private company called APTECH. Although it has been blacklisted in several other states of the country for fraudulent acts, the JKSSB has decided to award the contract to the tainted company. The authorities know what the company is known for , and if they don’t, the rage and agitation of young people on roads in Srinagar and Jammu should make it plain that something is gravely wrong. Why is the government’s recruitment agency hell-bent on destroying the careers of thousands of people who are preparing to take exams for government jobs?
The claimed company’s role is well known in the JKPSI and FAA recruitment exams, and incidents of selling exam papers have also come to light in Ladakh. Notwithstanding that responsibility, the firm in charge of administering the tests, by changing the norms and regulations, says it all—and in response, the youth’s indignation and disagreement are well-founded and well-justified. Although the JKSSB has said that it will ensure fairness and transparency in the upcoming tests, this is insufficient to instil trust in candidates, and rightly so, because the APTECH lacks a reliable track record.
Under no circumstances should the administration gamble with the future of young people who have worked hard to gain a spot that will lead to a career in the government sector. They have seen those who did not deserve to be on the selection lists earlier—managing it all through crooked means—and now, even if the JKSSB guarantees them a level playing field through transparency and fairness, they will not come on board. It should not be difficult for the authorities, particularly the JKSSB, to revoke the private company’s contract because its processes lack confidence and integrity. The same should be sufficient to demonstrate an exit and have it all controlled by governmental apparatus.
The recruitment agency must instead use state resources to administer the exams, which would increase transparency and accountability. Public resources are frequently more trustworthy and secure than private firm resources, and the government must also ensure that the exams are conducted fairly and equitably. Using state resources would also make the examination process more cost-effective and efficient. Furthermore, it must be ensured that private players are kept out of government recruitment in J&K. It is time for the authorities to cancel the contract with APTECH, and instead use dependable state resources to acquire the aspirants’ faith and confidence. If that is not done, we are afraid to declare that the method by which the company obtained the contract was ‘shabby,’ and that it is only the tip of an iceberg reeking of corruption; a recruitment system that fosters corruption, mints money, and does not care about the aspirants’ future. That’s all!
