‘Nearly 18,000 posts lying vacant in IIOJK’
Srinagar: The authorities have said that 17,953 posts, including 2960 gazetted and 14,993 non-gazetted positions, are lying vacant across various departments in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a written reply to legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para during the ongoing session of the IIOJK Legislative Assembly, the government said, as per department-wise details of vacancies, the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department had the highest number of vacant posts with 1985 gazetted and 5300 non-gazetted positions, followed by the Finance Department, which has 104 gazetted and 1457 non-gazetted vacancies.
Meanwhile, over 3,300 teaching posts are lying vacant across occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with the authorities confirming that no new recruitment has taken place in the past two years.
In a written reply to a question by MLA Sham Lal Sharma, the School Education Department said that while the sanctioned strength of teachers and masters across both divisions remains substantial, 2,233 posts are vacant in Jammu Division and 1,127 in Kashmir Division.
According to the figures provided, the total sanctioned strength of masters in Jammu Division is 6,787, out of which 4,895 are in position, leaving 1,892 vacancies. Of these, 991 posts are occupied by in-charge headmasters and lecturers, and 700 are reserved under various categories, bringing the net functional vacancies to 201. However, when combined with the shortfall in the teacher cadre, which has 22,785 sanctioned posts with 22,441 in position, the overall vacancies across both categories add up to 2,233 in the Jammu Division.
In the Kashmir division, the sanctioned strength of masters is 7,386, with 6,411 in position and 975 vacancies. Of these, 915 are reserved or under administrative process, leaving a functional shortfall. In the teacher cadre, 28,406 posts are sanctioned and 28,254 are in position, leaving 152 vacancies — taking the total number of unfilled positions in the division to 1,127.
The reply further stated that no recruitment has been carried out during the last two years. In Jammu Division, the last major recruitment drive took place in 2016 for General Line, Science/Maths, and Urdu teachers, while in Kashmir Division, the last such process was conducted in 2019.
