Agriculture graduates continue protest for 17th day, demand review of recruitment policies

Srinagar: Agriculture graduates in Jammu and Kashmir continued their peaceful protest for the 17th consecutive day, demanding the revocation of SRO-433 and SRO-442 governing recruitment in the Agriculture Production Department (APD).

The protesting graduates alleged that the recruitment policies have severely affected the filling of entry-level Gazetted and Non-Gazetted technical posts, resulting in limited recruitment opportunities for qualified agriculture professionals for nearly two decades.

The protesters are demanding fair and equal opportunities for eligible agriculture graduates and have called for vacant entry-level posts to be referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) through regular recruitment processes.

They also demanded an end to what they described as a decades-long freeze on recruitment to technical posts in the department.

The protesters said they would continue their peaceful agitation until the authorities address their demands and take steps to restore a regular and transparent recruitment process for eligible candidates.