The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has urged the Health & Medical Education Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, to streamline the recruitment application process in Government Medical Colleges by doing away with the compulsory submission of hard copies after online applications are submitted.
In a representation submitted to the Administrative Secretary of the department, JKSA Chairman Mushtaq Habeeb expressed concern over recent recruitment notifications issued by institutions such as GMC Udhampur and GMC Handwara. He pointed out that candidates are being asked to submit physical copies of application forms and documents even after successfully completing the online process.
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Habeeb said that mandatory offline submission runs contrary to the spirit of digital governance and creates avoidable difficulties for aspirants, especially those belonging to rural, remote and economically weaker sections.
“The existing two-step application system places unnecessary financial and logistical pressure on unemployed youth. Applicants are forced to spend money on printing, travel and repeated visits to offices, often within very tight deadlines. As a result, several eligible candidates risk disqualification despite submitting their online applications on time,” the Association stated.
The JKSA chairman also noted that insisting on physical submission leads to duplication of work, overcrowding at college offices and delays in administrative processing. He added that this practice increases the workload of staff, even though all required documents are already available in digital format. According to him, aspirants from far-flung areas of Jammu, Kashmir, Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal face additional challenges due to long distances, poor connectivity and limited resources.
The Association has requested the government to consider online applications as complete and final, allow offline submission only in genuine technical cases, and carry out document verification at the stage of selection or joining instead of during the application process.
Expressing hope for a timely and favourable decision, Habeeb said that simplifying recruitment procedures would promote transparency, improve accessibility and reduce stress among job aspirants. He added that such reforms would make the system more efficient and inclusive, ensuring that no deserving candidate is excluded due to procedural hurdles.
