Jammu, Apr 6 (NVI): In a major administrative breakthrough, the long-pending induction of 23 Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) officers into the IAS has entered its final phase, with a high-level selection committee meeting expected by the end of April in Jammu.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has appointed a member to chair the selection panel, which will also include top Union Territory officials such as the Chief Secretary, an Additional Chief Secretary, and the Administrative Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD).
Sources said all procedural formalities have been completed, and despite lingering legal issues, the process is unlikely to face further delays. The committee is expected to take a final call on inductions, with options including conditional clearances or reserving certain vacancies subject to court outcomes.
The inductions—covering vacancies from 2019 and 2020—come after a gap of nearly four years. The last such exercise was held on August 4, 2022, when 16 officers were inducted, even though 28 had initially been cleared.
Officers from the 1999 batch, who have waited over two decades, are now in line for elevation to the IAS under the AGMUT cadre.
Notably, the induction process had remained stalled for over a decade—from 2010 to 2022—due to prolonged legal disputes and seniority issues.
Officials said filling these 23 vacancies will pave the way for clearing subsequent backlogs and may mark the beginning of a regular, annual induction system—aimed at reducing stagnation within JKAS ranks.
Once inducted, officers will be part of the AGMUT cadre, serving across multiple States and Union Territories including Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and others.(NVI)
