Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo pushes for time-bound overhaul of Recruitment Rules in J&K, assesses the status of updation of rules across departments

JAMMU: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the current status and expedite the updation of Recruitment Rules (RRs) across various departments of the Union Territory, with a strong emphasis on ensuring transparency, efficiency and employee welfare in public administration. The meeting was attended by the Commissioner Secretary, ARI & Trainings Department, along with Administrative Secretaries of other departments.

While underscoring the importance of timely finalization of Recruitment Rules, the Chief Secretary directed all Administrative Secretaries to work in close coordination with the ARI & Trainings Department to complete the process within a defined timeframe.  He stressed that updated and well-structured Recruitment Rules are crucial for ensuring a transparent, merit-based and efficient recruitment framework, besides facilitating the prompt filling of vacancies across departments.

Reiterating the Government’s commitment towards employee welfare and administrative efficiency, the Chief Secretary issued clear instructions that the entire exercise must be pursued in a mission mode, eliminating delays and ensuring uniformity in recruitment processes across departments.

During the meeting, Commissioner Secretary, ARI & Trainings, Shabnam Shah Kamili, informed that the initiative marks a significant shift towards digital governance. She apprised that a dedicated online portal has been developed in collaboration with BISAG-N for updating Recruitment Rules in a streamlined and efficient manner.

She further informed that, with effect from April 1, 2026, all offline submissions of proposals for Recruitment Rules will be discontinued, and departments will be required to mandatorily route their proposals through the online portal. The portal has already been made fully operational after successful security audits and integration of SMS-based communication features. To ensure a smooth transition, four high-level training sessions have also been conducted for departmental Nodal Officers, she added.

Highlighting the progress achieved so far, it was informed that the Standing Committee constituted for the purpose has maintained a consistent pace of work, having convened 53 meetings since early 2024. Through these deliberations, Recruitment Rules for 33 services have been finalized, while preliminary drafts for 81 additional services have been prepared. Moreover, 12 services have been cleared through Executive Orders to address urgent administrative requirements.

The meeting was also apprised that these concerted efforts are aimed at clearing the existing backlog and aligning departmental structures with contemporary governance requirements and best practices. Addressing structural gaps and pending issues, it was noted that internal audits have identified key areas requiring immediate attention, including the presence of outdated pay scales linked to the 5th and 6th Pay Commissions, as well as stagnation in “Schedule-I” post allocations.

The departments were advised to adopt uniform model Recruitment Rules for ministerial staff to bring consistency across the system. They were also instructed to clearly define parameters such as “experience” in Recruitment Rules to remove ambiguity and ensure fairness in the selection process.

The Chief Secretary issued specific directions to major departments including Health, Education, Revenue and Agriculture to resolve pending mapping issues on priority and finalize their Recruitment Rules without any further delay. The meeting concluded with a reiteration of the Government’s resolve to modernize administrative processes, enhance transparency, and ensure timely recruitment through a robust, technology-driven framework in the best interest of government employees here.