Protesters seek scrapping of SRO-433 of 2004, SRO-442 of 2017; say over 5,000 graduates, postgraduates and doctoral scholars jobless or underemployed
Dhar Muneeb
Srinagar, Oct 05: The protest by unemployed agriculture graduates in Jammu and Kashmir entered its 15th day on Monday, with demonstrators demanding the rollback of recruitment policies they describe as “draconian and unfair,” alleging these have frozen entry-level hiring in the Agriculture Production Department (APD) for nearly two decades.
The protesters, backed by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), are seeking the scrapping of SRO-433 of 2004 and SRO-442 of 2017, claiming the provisions have systematically halted direct recruitment to entry-level Gazetted and Non-Gazetted technical posts.
In a representation submitted to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and accessed by The Web Story/The Varmul Post, JKSA National Spokesperson Dr. Zubair Reshi said more than 5,000 agriculture graduates, postgraduates and doctoral scholars remain unemployed or underemployed. The association claimed Gazetted technical posts have not been advertised for direct recruitment since 2005, while certain Non-Gazetted posts have seen no fresh recruitment since 2015.
“The present arrangement for Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) posts, with an 80:20 promotion-to-direct-recruitment ratio, has significantly limited opportunities for fresh graduates to enter the Gazetted cadre,” the letter stated.
The protesters are demanding the ratio be revised to 70:30 to restore a meaningful share of direct recruitment opportunities. They are also seeking the restoration of 100 per cent direct recruitment for the Junior Agriculture Extension Officer (JAEO) post, which is presently understood to be entirely promotional, leaving no direct-entry avenue for fresh B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture graduates.
The aggrieved graduates argue the prolonged recruitment gap has not only affected the career aspirations of an entire generation but has also weakened the department’s field-level capacity, impacting agricultural extension, farmer outreach and scientific farming in the Union Territory.
“We have been protesting peacefully for 15 days now. The government must understand that this is not just about individual employment; it is about the future of agriculture in J&K. We are trained professionals being denied the opportunity to serve the farmers of this region,” a representative of the protesting graduates told The Web Story/The Varmul Post.
The JKSA has urged the government to undertake a comprehensive, time-bound review of the existing recruitment framework and to refer all eligible vacant posts to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for timely, transparent and merit-based recruitment.
The association has also sought direct engagement with government representatives to develop a transparent and sustainable solution, warning that continued uncertainty is eroding the confidence of professionally trained youth in the region.
Last week, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said the government was working to resolve the long-pending recruitment concerns of agriculture graduates, but an immediate solution was not possible due to litigation involving various categories of posts.
The Minister said the issue had been pending for years and the government had been working on it for the past several months. He said groups involved in litigation had also been taken on board as part of efforts to find a resolution.
“Litigation is the main reason. We have been working on this for the last several months and are achieving success somehow,” Dar said.
Meanwhile, The Director Agriculture Kashmir, visited the Wadura Campus on Saturday to meet with protesting agriculture graduates and discuss their demands on the spot, officials said.
The Director assured the protesters that he would soon arrange a meeting between representatives of the agriculture graduates and the Agriculture Minister so that their demands could be placed before the government.
