Ganderbal : PDP leader Iltija Mufti has urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to revisit proposed recruitment rules for Forester posts, warning that allowing candidates without a forestry background to apply undermines professional qualifications.
Visiting protesting forestry students at SKUAST-K Ganderbal, Mufti drew parallels with medicine and engineering, noting that students invest four years studying roughly 80 subjects covering ecology, flora, fauna, and environmental conservation. “Merit is being criminalised,” she said, criticizing the marginalisation of qualified youth amid ongoing local concerns over deforestation and shrinking green cover.
Expressing deep concern over reports ordering protesting students to vacate their hostels after nearly a month of demonstrations, Mufti appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Forest Minister Javed Rana to intervene immediately. She noted that wider discontent—including recent medical intern protests over stipends and reservations—highlights deep-seated employment anxieties across the region. “These students are not begging for jobs. They are saying that they are ready to work hard, but the government must acknowledge their efforts by providing equal opportunities in employment,” she stated, warning that she would join the students if they are forced out of their accommodation.
