Srinagar: On 4 November 2024, the University of Kashmir finally announced the commencement of long-anticipated interviews for various academic positions, set to begin on 11 November. However, just a day before the scheduled start, the University issued a sudden notification postponing the interviews, citing ‘administrative issues.’
This sudden postponement has created anguish among dozens of aspirants who view the development as a setback to much-needed hiring efforts.
The university officials and shortlisted candidates decry the development, stating that it was after much effort that the recruitment process was streamlined. “It took us a long time to finally smoothen the process. But alas! We seem to be going nowhere,” a university official said on the condition of anonymity.
“Contrary to claims that the interviews were hurriedly scheduled, the recruitment effort has been a steady and structured one, with regular updates shared through the University’s official website. The recruitment process had already undergone considerable scrutiny to ensure compliance with central government reservation policies, with the University withdrawing earlier advertisements of February 2023. Kashmir University subsequently issued three recruitment advertisements (Notice No. 13, 14, & 15 of 2023) on 19th December 2023 for Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor level posts across almost all disciplines, with applications due by 26 January 2024,” the official added.
“See, within four months, in May 2023, the University started issuing subject-wise lists to allow applicants a chance to submit any deficient documents before releasing the API scores to shortlist candidates for the interviews. By August 2024, the applicant API Scores were released. In fact, the candidates were even allowed to challenge their scores before the University released merit lists in October 2024,” the official added.
This has stressed the local applicants who were due to appear in the interview. Many of these aspirants had arrived from different parts of the country where they are currently working. “I fail to understand how a few applicants, who we are given to understand have failed to feature in the shortlists, can claim that the VC alone would influence the selection when an interview panel includes a minimum of eight members, from the University Chancellor’s observers to external experts, deans, and heads of departments. This feels like a calculated attempt to derail a recruitment process that’s been pending for nearly eight or nine years,” said an applicant whose interview was scheduled on 12 November on the condition of anonymity.
“I withheld my field research abroad to return for this interview, only to find that a few applicants, apparently unable to make it to the final shortlist in some disciplines, had lodged objections. If someone fails to get shortlisted purely on academic merit, with most of the merit lists in the public domain, they shouldn’t be allowed to scuttle the process. This is a mockery of the merit and the institution itself.”
Another applicant who had booked his flight from Hyderabad for the interview purpose decried this development and appealed the authories to stop jeopardizing the careers of youth. “I teach in Hyderabad and had booked my flight for Monday only to know that the interview has been postponed. It is such a sad state of affairs where these flimsy complaints are used to scuttle the process. All the applicants were already allowed a chance to challenge their academic scores. If they cannot feature in the shortlist, they shouldn’t be given the power to scuttle the whole process,” lamented this applicant, who was also scheduled to appear in the interview on 12 November.
“The same thing transpired in Jammu University early this year when it was forced to postpone the interview in January 2024, merely three days before the scheduled dates, and have ever since been pending,” he adds.
The University officials point out that no rule restricts the Vice Chancellor’s role in overseeing such processes at this stage, nor does this timeline conflict with standard recruitment practices seen in other institutions.
“Recruitments are routinely conducted in other institutions, and nothing restricts an institutional head from initiating the process unless a specific code of conduct mandates otherwise,” said a second university official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This seems like an attempt to tarnish the image of Kashmir University and, in particular, the Vice Chancellor.”
“Does anyone petition the government to stop a Public Service Commission chairperson from holding interviews toward the end of their tenure?” the official added. “In fact, they frequently lead selection panels right up to their final day in office. Until and unless the code of conduct on the incumbent VC sets in, nothing should hinder the process.”
