In a dismal performance, none from the Kashmir division figured among the seven Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants who qualified in the examination this year from the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir, according to valley-based coaching centres.
The figure of seven, with one already successful candidate repeating the examination, in 2022, is the lowest for more than a decade in J&K.
Among the seven successful candidates from the Jammu division are two Muslims, four Hindus and a Sikh.
Till late on the evening of May 30, J&K officials had not yet formally issued a list of the successful candidates.
Kashmir saw a steady increase in the share of UPSC qualifying candidates after a local youth, Shah Faesal, topped the examination in 2009. The highest number of successful candidates from Jammu & Kashmir was 15, in 2018.
J&K saw 11 candidates qualifying in the UPSC examination in 2011, 10 in 2012, 11 in 2013, 10 in 2014, nine in 2015, 14 in 2016, 14 in 2017, and 15 in 2018.
After the erstwhile State was split into the two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, in 2019, the number of successful candidates fell. Only nine candidates qualified from J&K after the reading down of Article 370 in 2020; with three Hindu and six Muslim candidates.
“All those who have been declared qualified for the UPSC exams deserve our heartfelt congratulations. Happy to see three youth qualifying from J&K but at the same time I am baffled to see the graph of J&K youth decreasing in qualifying the UPSC exams. Time to ponder over,” said Peoples Conference youth leader Musadir Karim.
From the Union Territory of Ladakh, two candidates qualified — one Muslim from Kargil and a Buddhist from Leh.
