A Generation Adrift

Delays, scams, and endless waiting: How Kashmir's job crisis is crushing a generation's spirit.

- Aamir Altaf

I'm 25 years old, a graduate from a well-known university. Like many others in Jammu and Kashmir, I didn't step into the workforce right after finishing college. Instead, I enrolled in a Master's program through IGNOU, because it felt like the only way to stay busy while preparing for government exams that always seem just out of reach.

We, the youth of this region, held onto a fragile hope, especially after 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated and our state transitioned into a Union Territory under Governor's rule.

We were told of a new dawn of development, opportunities, and most importantly, transparent and timely recruitments. We envisioned a future where merit would prevail, our hard work would be rewarded, and the chronic unemployment that plagued our parents' generation would finally be a thing of the past.

But look at us now. The promised dawn has yet to break. Instead, we find ourselves trapped in a relentless cycle of disappointment, our aspirations crumbling under the weight of broken promises.

Whenever a recruitment notification appears, a rare event in itself, often after years of anticipation, it's either marred by allegations of scams, forcing us to witness the brazen theft of our futures, or indefinitely delayed, caught in a bureaucratic labyrinth or legal quagmire.

The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) has managed to notify the Combined Competitive Exams only four times since 2019. It's a positive step, but the glacial pace and unpredictable timing cost us invaluable opportunities, years of our prime youth that can never be reclaimed.

Each postponement, cancelled exam feels like a punch to the gut. It drains our savings spent on coaching and forms, as well as our will to persevere.

Adding insult to injury, the very system designed to offer a fair chance has turned its back on a significant section of us.