IYC, students' association urge J-K govt to postpone JKAS prelims amid travel disruptions

New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) The Indian Youth Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association Saturday urged the J-K administration to immediately intervene and help aspirants appearing the JKAS Preliminary Examination scheduled for Sunday, due to widespread travel disruptions and "confusion over age relaxation for the test.

IYC national president Uday Bhanu Chib has written to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on behalf of "a large number" of JKAS aspirants, the Congress' youth wing said in a statement.

He said airline disruptions in the past few days left aspirants stranded at airports in Jammu, Srinagar, and Ladakh, with many unable to secure affordable last-minute tickets or alternative routes." A significant number of candidates are simply unable to reach their assigned centres despite months of preparation," he wrote.

Chib sought an urgent postponement of the prelims, warning that the situation had become "unfair and exclusionary" for many candidates.

He also flagged what he said was "deep confusion" over whether the earlier age-relaxation policy -- five additional years for open-merit candidates, raising the upper age from 32 to 37 -- had been restored or formally withdrawn for the current recruitment cycle.

"Without a written order from Raj Bhavan or GAD (General Adminstration Department), aspirants fear their eligibility may be questioned later," he noted.

The IYC demanded postponement, restoration of the earlier age-relaxation policy, and an immediate official notification to remove ambiguity.

Echoing similar concerns, the JKSA issued a separate statement expressing "deep concern and disappointment" over the continued delay in formalising the age-relaxation decision.

Association National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said the matter had been shuttling between the Chief Minister's Office, Raj Bhavan, and the GAD, leaving students "anxious and sleepless" just hours before the exam.

Khuehami said countless aspirants, including those who had moved outside J-K for coaching, now faced uncertainty over whether to travel and whether they would even be permitted to sit for the test.

"This is not a favour being sought.It is a fair and essential relief to ensure a level playing field," he said.

Both IYC and JKSA urged LG Sinha and Chief Minister Abdullah to personally intervene, issue a clear public notification, and ensure that the exam is conducted in a "fair, transparent, and inclusive" manner.

For at least five days in a row, IndiGo flight operations have significantly disrupted, with a large number of cancellations and delays causing hardships to thousands of passengers. In many cases, baggages have been misplaced. PTI MHS SKY SKY