JKPSC Written Selections: Open Merit Share Drops to 44%

Srinagar | September, 09: The annual report of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) has revealed that the share of Open Merit candidates in written exam selection has fallen to 44.14 per cent in 2025-26 from 70.27 per cent a year earlier.
Reports said the commission recommended 623 candidates under this recruitment method during 2025-26, compared to 407 in 2024-25, marking an increase of more than 53 per cent. Of the 623 candidates recommended in 2025-26, 275 were from the Open Merit category, accounting for 44.14 per cent of the total, whereas in 2024-25, 286 of the 407 recommended candidates were from Open Merit, accounting for 70.27 per cent.
The category-wise breakdown highlights a sharp rise in reserved recommendations. The number of RBA candidates recommended increased from 24 in 2024-25 to 68 in 2025-26, while SC candidates increased from 25 to 55. Recommendations of ST-1 candidates rose from 37 to 69, while 68 ST-2 candidates were recommended in 2025-26 compared with none in the previous year. The number of SLC candidates recommended increased from 12 to 55, while ALC candidates rose from eight to 20. EWS recommendations increased from six to eight, while PHC candidates rose from one to five. Conversely, the number of PSP candidates declined from eight in 2024-25 to none in 2025-26 under recruitment based exclusively on written examination.