SRINAGAR:

The Jammu and Kashmir government collected more than Rs 114 crore in examination and application fees from job aspirants over the past three years, even as the number of vacancies advertised by the Public Service Commission declined, figures placed before the Assembly showed.

According to the data, the number of posts advertised by the commission fell from 2,586 in 2023-24 to 1,400 in 2024-25. The figure dropped further to 357 in the last financial year.

The figures have drawn attention to the widening gap between the number of young people seeking government employment and the availability of vacancies.

The issue is particularly significant in Jammu and Kashmir, where government employment remains an important avenue for graduates and other job seekers.