Jailed MP writes to Home Minister on CCE age row, seeks intervention

Amid the recent standoff between the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government and Lok Bhavan over the demand for age relaxation for aspirants of the J&K Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), jailed MP and Awami Itehaad Party (AIP) chief Engineer Rashid has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention in the age-eligibility criteria of the prestigious exam.

Rejecting calls for a postponement amid widespread flight cancellations and a dispute over the upper age limit, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) went ahead with the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) and conducted the exam on Sunday. The CCE exam recruits officers for the J&K Administrative Service, Police Service and Accounts Service.

In a letter written by the MP released by his party on Tuesday, he has said he wants to draw kind attention “to an issue that has caused deep anxiety among the youth of Jammu and Kashmir” and has also “led to avoidable misunderstanding between key constitutional authorities within the Union Territory.”

The MP said recent public differences in positions taken by the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister have resulted in “confusion among citizens and have weakened public confidence in institutional harmony.”

“The people of Jammu & Kashmir hold both offices in high esteem and your guidance at this juncture would provide much-needed stability and clarity in governance,” the MP said.

Seeking intervention, the letter stated that thousands of aspirants are distressed because of inconsistent notifications and shifting interpretations on the upper age limit. “For many years, an upper age of 37 years has been considered reasonable given the region’s unique circumstances, prolonged disruptions and limited private sector opportunities,” he said.

He noted that a permanent fixation of the upper age limit at 37 years for JKCCE will “bring fairness, stability and hope to thousands of deserving young men and women.”