Leh: While the UPSC is yet to attend to the recruitment requirements of Ladakh region, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission may soon be empowered to select judicial officers for the Himalayan Union Territory.
Divided parts of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, both the Union Territories are facing shortage of judicial officers at the Munsif level. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019 had allowed the UT of Jammu and Kashmir to continue with its Public Service Commission but for Ladakh the Act had provisioned for the UPSC to undertake recruitment process. It is learnt that the UPSC has yet to make any major headway in this direction.
Being a major connecting institution between the two Union Territories, the Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has recommended amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Judicial) Recruitment Rules, 1967 to enable the J&K PSC to undertake recruitment of judicial officers in Ladakh UT.
These recommendations by the High Court are being examined by the Law Department of Jammu and Kashmir, it is learnt.
A large number of posts of Munsiffs are presently lying vacant in both the Union Territories because of promotions ordered by the Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and creation of new posts in the recent past.
The recruitment to the posts of Munsiffs is governed by the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Judicial) Recruitment Rules, 1967, which read: “Recruitment to the service shall be made on the basis of the competitive examination conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission”.
Even as the vacant posts of Munsiffs in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir can be easily filled through the J&K Public Service Commission yet the Common High Court doesn’t want disparity with the Union Territory of Ladakh in filling up of vacant posts of Munsiffs in Leh and Kargil districts.
In order to overcome the difficulties, the Common High Court has recommended some changes in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Judicial) Recruitment Rules, 1967 to the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The proposed amendments are presently being examined in the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs of J&K Government.
A provision is required to be incorporated in these Rules to facilitate the J&K Public Service Commission in filling up of vacant posts of Munsiffs in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The J&K Government has also decided to bring this difficulty to the notice of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and it would be only after the approval of the Ministry that amendments will be carried out in the Rules.
Once the rules are amended, Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and administration of Ladakh Union Territory, in consultation with the Common High Court, will refer the vacant posts of the Public Service Commission for initiating the recruitment process.
The amendments are required to be carried out in the method of recruitment, resident status and appointments shall be notified in the Jammu and Kashmir Government Gazette as well as Gazette of Union Territory of Ladakh.
