Open Merit Share in Government Jobs in Jammu and Kashmir Stays Around 52% or Higher
SRINAGAR: Over the last six years, open merit appointments in Jammu and Kashmir have hovered at roughly half of all selections, even as the share of reserved categories has grown across both Gazetted and Non-Gazetted hiring, according to official data.
The current reservation framework in the Union Territory was announced via SO 176 on March 15, 2024. The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) has not yet completed selections under the new framework, and there is no category- or division-wise break-up of appointments since the notification. Nevertheless, 10,313 posts have been advertised and are expected to be filled within a defined timeline.
Data from the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), which handles UT cadre Gazetted posts, shows that from 2020 to 2025 there were 3,581 selections in total. Of these, 2,096 went to Open Merit candidates, representing about 58.5% of all selections.
A year-by-year look reveals that in 2020, 84 of 134 selections were Open Merit (roughly 62.7%). In 2021, 257 of 432 were OM (about 59.5%). In 2022, the OM share fell to 175 of 324 (around 54%). In 2023, 575 of 1,073 selections were OM (approximately 53.6%). In 2024, the OM share rose to 761 of 1,149 (66.2%). In 2025, it moderated to 244 of 469 (around 52%).
Although Open Merit remains the largest single category in Gazetted postings, reserved categories together account for a little over 41% of appointments during the six-year window. Specifically, RBA secured 422 posts (11.8%), SC 283 (7.9%), ST 319 (8.9%), EWS 171 (4.8%), PSP 90 (2.5%), ALC/IB 99 (2.8%), and SLC 84 (2.3%). Notably, the ST-2 category, which had no selections in earlier years, logged 17 appointments in 2025.
A clearer pattern emerges in Non-Gazetted recruitments conducted by JKSSB. From 2020 to 2025, 25,161 selections were made, with 12,942 going to Open Merit candidates, or about 51.4% overall.
In 2020, Open Merit accounted for 924 of 1,447 selections (63.8%). In 2021, 5,121 of 9,329 selections were OM (about 54.9%). In 2022, the OM share dropped sharply to 1,708 of 4,276 selections (just under 40%). In 2023, 1,930 of 3,695 selections were OM (roughly 52.2%). In 2024, 2,842 of 5,653 selections were OM (about 50.3%). In 2025, 417 of 761 selections were OM (around 54.8%).
The data indicate that while Open Merit candidates secure just over half of total appointments in Non-Gazetted posts across six years, the margin has narrowed compared with earlier years, with 2022 recording the lowest proportional share at about 40%.
With the new reservation framework not yet reflected in finalized selections, the 10,313 advertised posts will serve as the first major indicator of how category distribution evolves under the revised policy. The ultimate outcome will reveal whether the Open Merit share stabilizes near its current average of roughly 52–58% across services or shifts further under the updated reservation structure.
Recruitment authorities have asserted that all selections are carried out strictly in accordance with the notified rules and statutory provisions, ensuring transparency, fairness, and merit-based processes.
