SRINAGAR, Nov 9 – The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank’s latest recruitment process, seeking an increase in the upper age limit for Probationary Officer (PO) and Banking Associate posts to 40 years.
The association said the current upper age limit of 30 years had disappointed thousands of educated unemployed youth, particularly those who had waited nearly six years for fresh recruitment opportunities.
JKSA National Spokesperson Dr Zubair Reshi said the announcement of recruitment after a prolonged gap was welcome but argued that the prescribed age criteria failed to account for the years lost by aspirants awaiting vacancies.
He said thousands of candidates had invested significant time and resources preparing for banking examinations but were now unable to apply because of the age restriction.
Reshi pointed out that the upper age limit for PO posts in the previous J&K Bank recruitment was 32 years, compared with 30 years in the latest notification.
He said the reduction, alongside the nearly six-year recruitment gap, had further narrowed opportunities for candidates who had crossed the prescribed age limit while waiting for fresh vacancies.
The association cited the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board’s recruitment criteria, under which the upper age limit for Open Merit candidates extends up to 40 years in certain recruitment processes.
It urged J&K Bank to adopt a similar age limit or, at the minimum, restore the previous 32-year limit for PO candidates and provide special relaxation in view of the prolonged recruitment hiatus.
The association also raised concerns over the distribution of vacancies under the reservation framework, stating that 542 of the 1,356 advertised posts had been allocated to the Open Merit category, while the remaining 814 fell under reserved categories.
It called on authorities to examine the issue and ensure equitable employment opportunities for eligible candidates.
JKSA appealed to Sinha to take up the matter with the bank’s management and other competent authorities, seeking reconsideration of the eligibility criteria and appropriate age relaxation.
The association said recruitment after a gap of nearly six years should provide relief to unemployed youth rather than exclude candidates who had spent years preparing for the opportunities.
