SRINAGAR: Serious questions have been raised over the fairness and transparency of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC) after only 13 candidates from Kashmir were shortlisted out of a total of 124 candidates from across the Union Territory for the viva voce stage of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination 2025.
Students and political leaders have demanded a transparent and independent inquiry into the conduct of the examination, alleging regional imbalance and irregularities.
The PSC, however, has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the examination was conducted in a completely fair and impartial manner with no scope for bias, manipulation or external influence.
The results of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination 2025 were declared by the J&K PSC on January 20, 2026. The mains examination was conducted from November 16 to November 26, 2025, at centres in Jammu and Srinagar.
According to students, out of the 124 candidates shortlisted for the viva voce stage, only 13 are from the Kashmir division, while the remaining candidates belong to the Jammu region.
Around 1,016 candidates had qualified the preliminary examination and appeared in the mains, of whom nearly 600 were from Kashmir.
Sahil Parray, a representative of a group advocating for Open Merit aspirants, said the results pointed to a glaring disparity.
“JKCS Civil Judge Mains results expose a brutal disparity,” he said. “124 selected for viva – 111 from Jammu and 13 from Kashmir. Reportedly, out of 1,016 who cleared prelims, around 600 were from Kashmir yet only 13 survive the mains.”
“This is not a coincidence. This is systemic elimination. How many times will Kashmiri students be shattered before someone in power calls this out?” Parray said. “This is the murder of confidence.”
Mir Mujeeb, another advocate for Open Merit aspirants, alleged a shocking disparity in the success rate of candidates from the two regions.
“Strike rate disparity is incredible and utterly shocking,” he said in a post on X. “With Open Merit shrunken below 30 per cent, Kashmir aspirants are pushed almost entirely into OM seats, while a few Jammu districts corner the lion’s share. A rigged funnel from the outset, then alleged paper leaks seal the injustice. This system needs an overhaul.”
The Open Merit Students Association J&K said it was deeply concerned over the silence of the elected government on what it described as serious allegations surrounding the JKPSC Judicial 2025 results.
“Nothing is more disgraceful than leaders abandoning their own people,” the association said.
Apni Party president and former Finance Minister Altaf Bukhari said it was a matter of serious concern that only 13 out of 124 candidates from Kashmir had been shortlisted for the viva voce stage, while 111 candidates were from the Jammu division.
He said candidates from the Valley who were dropped had rightly alleged serious irregularities and a lack of transparency in the examination results.
“Given the stark regional imbalance reflected in the results, these concerns cannot be dismissed and deserve fair and impartial investigation,” Bukhari said.
“It appears that the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination is also being subjected to communal considerations, as the disproportionate ratio of shortlisted candidates raises serious doubts.”
He added that at a time when mistrust prevails in both regions, the only responsible course was to keep the results in abeyance and initiate a transparent, independent inquiry.
“The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah must ensure that the results of the Civil Services (Judicial) Mains Examination remain on hold until a fair and thorough inquiry is conducted,” he said.
Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattu described the results as “another justification for Kashmir being freed from Jammu’s exploitative clutches and becoming a Kashmir State”.
“Another day, another injustice with Kashmiri aspirants in broad daylight,” Mattu said in a post on X. “A total of 1,016 candidates were chosen to appear for the J&K KCS (Judiciary) Main Examination. This is the initial pool of candidates who qualified for the next stage of the selection process.”
“From the total 1,016 candidates selected for mains, 600 of them were from the Kashmir division. This indicates a significant representation of candidates from the Kashmir region on the basis of merit in the initial selection,” he said.
“Now here is the shocker: out of the 600 candidates from the Kashmir division who appeared in the mains, only 13 were selected for the interview stage,” Mattu said.
“We are being exterminated out of the vocational, professional, institutional and economic mainstream,” he alleged.
Responding to the allegations, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission said in a statement that the examination process was conducted with complete fairness and transparency.
“The examinations are conducted in a completely fair manner with no scope for bias, manipulation, or external influence,” the PSC said.
It said the selection and recruitment of candidates were carried out strictly on merit and in accordance with rules, irrespective of religion, region or language.
“The examinations are conducted with complete fairness and full transparency, strictly in accordance with established rules and procedures. Every candidate is treated equally, and the process is governed by robust safeguards that leave no scope for bias, manipulation, or external influence,” the statement said.
The PSC added that the evaluation process was conducted under the highest standards of confidentiality and security.
“It is designed to be completely impenetrable, ensuring that the evaluator cannot, at any point, ascertain the identity of the candidate whose answer sheet is being evaluated, thus ensuring a fool proof process,” it said.
“This strict anonymity and the uncompromising framework of the Commission guarantees complete objectivity and leaves no room for influence, interference, or bias. The Commission embodies integrity, fairness and moral responsibility in both letter and spirit.”