Politics · India · 9 hrs ago
J&K Bank reservation policy draws criticism as it prepares to fill 1,400 jobs
J&K Bank is preparing to fill 1,400 vacancies in Jammu and Kashmir, including posts for probationary officers and banking associates.
Its policy allocates 60% of positions to reserved categories and 40% to Open Merit, with quotas for several groups.
The bank has lowered the Open Merit age limit from 32 to 30, while reserved-category applicants can be up to 40.
The policy was introduced under former chairman R.K. Chhibber in 2021–2022, and the bank is a major non-government source of jobs in the region.
Recruitment has resumed after a gap of nearly six years, and around 1.40 lakh people applied for banking associate jobs in the previous hiring round.
Regional parties and community organisations say the rules are unfair, raising concerns about opportunities, merit and representation.
The students’ association has asked the Lieutenant-Governor to intervene, and the concerns are being called for examination by the relevant authorities.
J&K Bank’s reservation policy has drawn criticism as the bank prepares to fill 1,400 vacancies.
The policy allocates 60% of positions to reserved categories and 40% to Open Merit.
The bank has set the Open Merit age limit at 30 and the reserved-category limit at 40.
Regional political parties, religious and social organisations have opposed the policy, with some calling for it to be revoked.
The recruitment includes 323 probationary officer posts and 1,033 banking associate posts.
- Who
- J&K Bank is recruiting for the vacancies. Regional political parties and organisations have criticised its reservation policy.
- What
- The bank plans to fill 1,400 vacancies under a policy allocating 60% of positions to reserved categories and 40% to Open Merit.
- When
- The policy triggered a political storm on November 9, 2026. It was introduced in 2021–2022.
- Where
- Jammu and Kashmir.
- Why
- Not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
J&K Bank introduced the amended reservation policy under then-chairman R.K. Chhibber.
The policy triggered criticism as the bank prepared to recruit for 1,400 vacancies.
- Total vacancies
- 1,400
- Probationary officer posts
- 323
- Banking associate posts
- 1,033
- Reserved-category share
- 60%
- Open Merit share
- 40%
- Age limits
- 30 for Open Merit; 40 for reserved categories
1 source
What people are saying
The existing upper age limit of 30 years needed reconsideration. The recruitment age limit should be raised to 40 years to provide more opportunities to eligible aspirants.
Only approximately 542 posts fall under Open Merit, while the remaining vacancies are allocated to reserved categories. Merit should remain the cornerstone of recruitment and every eligible candidate must have a fair opportunity to compete.
It’s deeply concerning. The age limit at 20-30 years is completely unfair to thousands of overaged aspirants who have been waiting patiently for years.