Srinagar, Jan 12: The eligibility criteria for the posts recently advertised by the Service Selection Board has drawn flak from different quarters, as highly qualified candidates are unable to apply, owing to the lower basic minimum qualification sought for them.
 Over the past few weeks, SSB invited applications for hundreds of posts in different departments, but basic eligibility laid for some of these posts has triggered concern among the aspirants having specialization in the similar fields, as they don’t fulfill the basic criteria required for filling application for the posts.
 “What is more worrying that the basic qualification required for these employment avenues, is not in tandem with the courses being taught in the varsities of state,” the aspirants told Greater Kashmir.
 “The SSB vide advertisement number 8, of 2010 dated 24-12-2010 invited applications for the post of assistant information officer in state information department with qualification of graduation with diploma in journalism, depriving hundreds of postgraduate students of Kashmir University from applying for the posts,” the job aspirants said.
 “Similarly for the posts of social worker, the basic eligibility is Masters in Sociology, regardless Valley has well-trained PG social work pass outs.
 For the posts of data entry operators, BCA candidates are ineligible, as the basic qualification is graduation, with one-year diploma in the computers,” they said.
 The basic criterion for vacancies has triggered concern among the unemployed youth, who see this as a “move of spoiling local potential and questioning education and employment policy of the state.”
 Senior officials told Greater Kashmir that lower basic criterion was matter of grave concern and government needs to revisit its employment policy by keeping posts in consistent with the education market of the state.
 “The government should frame employment policy according to the education provided here. What is the fun of keeping diploma eligibility, when we have the postgraduate here,” said, a bureaucrat, wishing anonymity.
 Echoing the same views, Kashmir University, Media Education Research Centre Head, Shahid Rasool said, “it was ideal to give preference to the postgraduate students.”
 “We have been teaching PG journalism for the past 20 years, and our pass outs can serve society better than diploma holders,” he said, adding “diploma is an old concept in the journalism.”
 When contacted, SSB chairman, B D Bhagat said “this was a genuine problem, as candidates with higher qualifications in the respective fields cannot apply, as they don’t fulfill the basic criteria for these jobs.”
 “I personally feel the requirement rules need to be changed according to the education provided in the State universities,” he said, adding “the recruitment rules are outdated.”
 He said “SSRB has nothing to do with it, as the criteria were being laid by the referring departments.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST