More than 21 lakh people applied for just 15,964 government posts in Jammu and Kashmir between 2023 and 2026, government data placed before the Assembly shows.

The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission and the Services Selection Board collected Rs 113.91 crore in application fees during the period. Of this, JKPSC received 2.76 lakh applications for 4,961 posts, while JKSSB received 18.36 lakh applications for 11,003 posts.

The data also shows 38 JKPSC examinations remain pending, including 32 from 2025-26. Candidates have paid Rs 28.76 lakh in fees for these pending exams.

PDP MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para raised the issue, questioning delays and the functioning of JKPSC without a chairman. He urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene.

The numbers underline the intense competition for government jobs in the Union Territory, where thousands compete for each vacancy.

JKPSC handles recruitment for gazetted posts while JKSSB manages non-gazetted jobs, and both are now under pressure to clear the backlog.