J&K Students Association writes to LG, CM over SSB Exam Chaos; alleges paper leak, seeks sacking of erring officers

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Sunday has written to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking their immediate intervention in the shocking irregularities and collapse of due process in the recently conducted JKSSB JE (Electrical) examination. The Association urged both to safeguard the integrity of examinations, ensure the welfare of candidates, and restore credibility to a system that has repeatedly failed the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, said that what unfolded during today’s examination has shaken the faith of thousands of aspirants who travelled from remote corners of J&K with hope, only to be met with chaos, negligence, and what can only be described as a betrayal of their hard work and aspirations. The examination, originally scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., was rescheduled to 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. due to inclement weather. However, in several centres, question papers and OMR sheets had already been distributed before the revised timing was communicated.

Candidates were then asked to exit and return later. This sequence not only exposed questions to some candidates but also created highly uneven conditions across centres. What followed was not an examination, but a complete mockery of fairness.Even more disturbingly, he said, videos have surfaced showing aspirants with OMR sheets in hand, scrolling through answers on their mobile phones inside exam centres.

In some halls, one group continued writing while another was asked to wait outside, and others sat in utter confusion. Outstation candidates, including working professionals who travelled long distances and secured rare leave, faced additional hardship. Instead of a fair and transparent examination, what unfolded was chaos and a total collapse of integrity.He emphasized that the facts are undeniable; the JE (Electrical) paper was leaked even before the exam began; question papers were distributed, recalled, and later reused, compromising sanctity; some candidates had unfair access to questions, while others lost precious time; and videos show candidates filling OMR sheets with mobiles in hand; an open insult to merit.

The Association asserted that this is not an isolated incident. Scam after scam, leak after leak, allegation after allegation; JKSSB has become synonymous with mismanagement, corruption, and negligence. The very body tasked with protecting the merit of our youth has instead crushed their dreams under systemic failure. This repeated pattern of scandals has destroyed public confidence in recruitment. Aspirants have spent the peak years of their lives preparing day and night for these examinations. They stay away from their families, sacrifice rest, burn the midnight oil in libraries, and fight every odd with faith in a fair system.

To see those sacrifices squandered by sheer incompetence is not just negligence; it is criminal.Advisor of the Association, Faizan Peer, said that while the Government’s decision to cancel the compromised examination is a welcome step, it does not address the deeper crisis of credibility that JKSSB has repeatedly plunged the youth into. Today’s paper leak and the blatant irregularities highlight the urgent need for structural reforms beyond mere cancellation. The Association demanded the immediate removal of erring officers responsible for this disaster, stressing that accountability cannot be delayed.

It called for a time-bound, transparent investigation into the paper leak and the mafia that has turned recruitment into a business. It also sought strict contingency protocols for future exams, including synchronized start times, CCTV preservation, and real-time monitoring, as well as the creation of an independent oversight mechanism under the Chief Minister’s office until structural reforms are instituted.The Association further noted that this is not merely about one exam; it is about the very future of J&K’s youth. Each scam chips away at their faith, pushes them into despair, and forces many to rethink their future in this land. At a time when unresolved reservation issue continue to fester, the repeated collapse of recruitment only deepens their plight.

The Association therefore urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take decisive intervention. What is urgently required now is their personal attention and immediate action to restore faith in the system. The Association stressed that justice to aspirants demands not only the sacking of erring officers and a credible investigation, but also the establishment of a foolproof mechanism to ensure such a fiasco never recurs. This is about more than one cancelled exam; it is about rebuilding public trust, saving an entire generation from despair, and reassuring every candidate that their years of sacrifice, dedication, and hard work will be rewarded solely on the basis of merit. Anything less, the Association warned, would amount to yet another betrayal of J&K’s youth.