Job aspirants protest against firm conducting recruitment exams in Kashmir

Protests against the hiring of a previously blacklisted company by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) for conducting written examinations for recruitment to various posts continued for the second day on Thursday.

Scores of job aspirants assembled at the Press Enclave here to protest against the company Aptech and the JKSSB. They demanded scrapping of the contract of the company, alleging it has indulged in malpractices. A senior official of the JKSSB said on Wednesday that there was no justification for the protest as the matter with regard to the hiring of Aptech is “sub-judice”.

However, he said, the company was hired as per the central and J-K government guidelines as it has already completed the blacklisting period of three years in May last year.

“JKSSB is forcing us to appear in examinations which are being conducted by a blacklisted company Aptech. They have too many ‘scandals’. Why are they allowing the company to continue when they have ‘scams’ and ‘scandals’,” one aspirant, Arif Hussain, told PTI. He said job aspirants do not accept the examinations to be conducted by Aptech. “We are submitting forms, we pay money. The examination conducted by the SSC in Rs 100, is conducted by the Aptech in Rs 550. Why should we pay for a blacklisted company?” he said, adding protests will continue till Aptech is “thrown out”. Another job aspirant, Shahid Farooq, said the contract with Aptech should be cancelled. “The matter is also sub-judice, but then what is the need to conduct examinations. We are not hesitant to sit in exams, but, we do not trust this agency. There should be investigations as why the JKSSB is favouring this company. Why did they change their by-laws for this company?” he said.

The protestors also raised slogans against the company and JKSSB.