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Srinagar, Dec 17: The Central Administrative Tribunal has sought a detailed response from the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) over its decision to conduct a competitive examination despite widespread disruption in air services across the country.
The direction came while hearing a petition filed by Syed Mudawar Shamus, who has challenged the conduct of the examination held during a nationwide aviation crisis marked by large-scale flight cancellations.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner, Advocate Aasifa Rashid Padder, submitted that several aspirants, especially those travelling from outside Jammu and Kashmir, were unable to reach their examination centres due to cancelled and delayed flights.
She argued that airline advisories, DGCA directions and media reports had clearly highlighted the severity of the disruption, yet the JKPSC went ahead with the examination without assessing its impact on candidates.
Considering submissions, the Tribunal directed the JKPSC to file an affidavit detailing how many candidates could not appear in the examination due to aviation-related issues.
CAT observed that such information would help determine whether the disruption had affected the fairness and equal opportunity of the examination process. The Tribunal has also asked the JKPSC to clarify what action, if any, was taken on the official communication from the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
In the letter, the Chief Minister had urged the Commission to consider the national aviation crisis and postpone the examination for a reasonable period in the interest of fairness.
The petitioner has contended that the examination was his last chance due to the upper age limit and that his inability to appear because of circumstances beyond his control has caused him irreparable loss.
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