Jammu: Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the status of updation of Recruitment Rules (RRs) across various departments, stressing the need for transparency, efficiency and employee welfare in public administration.
The meeting was attended by Shabnam Shah Kamili, Commissioner Secretary, ARI & Trainings Department, along with Administrative Secretaries of different departments.
Emphasising timely finalisation of Recruitment Rules, the Chief Secretary directed all Administrative Secretaries to work in close coordination with the ARI & Trainings Department and complete the process within a defined timeframe. He said updated and well-structured RRs are essential for ensuring a transparent, merit-based recruitment system and for filling vacancies promptly across departments.
Reiterating the Government’s commitment to administrative efficiency, Dulloo instructed that the entire exercise be carried out in mission mode, eliminating delays and ensuring uniformity in recruitment procedures.
During the meeting, Shabnam Shah Kamili informed that the initiative marks a shift towards digital governance. She said a dedicated online portal has been developed in collaboration with BISAG-N to streamline the process of updating Recruitment Rules.
She further stated that from April 1, 2026, all offline submissions for Recruitment Rules will be discontinued and departments will be required to route proposals exclusively through the online portal. The portal has been made fully operational after security audits and includes SMS-based communication features. To facilitate the transition, four high-level training sessions have been conducted for departmental nodal officers.
Highlighting progress, officials informed that the Standing Committee constituted for the purpose has held 53 meetings since early 2024. Recruitment Rules for 33 services have been finalised, while draft proposals for 81 additional services have been prepared. Additionally, 12 services have been cleared through executive orders to address urgent administrative requirements.
The meeting was also apprised that these efforts aim to clear the backlog and align departmental structures with modern governance standards and best practices.
Addressing key issues, officials noted that internal audits have identified outdated pay scales linked to the 5th Pay Commission and 6th Pay Commission, as well as stagnation in “Schedule-I” post allocations.
Departments were advised to adopt uniform model Recruitment Rules for ministerial staff and clearly define parameters such as “experience” to remove ambiguity and ensure fairness in the recruitment process.
The Chief Secretary also directed major departments, including Health, Education, Revenue and Agriculture, to resolve pending mapping issues on priority and finalise their Recruitment Rules without further delay.
The meeting concluded with a reiteration of the government’s resolve to modernise administrative processes, enhance transparency and ensure timely recruitment through a robust, technology-driven framework.
