Future of Library Aspirants Is Being Crushed by Recruitment Rules in J&K

In Jammu & Kashmir, an entire generation of library science professionals is being pushed into hopelessness. Despite earning Master’s degrees in Library & Information Science, and qualifying national tests like NET, SET, and JRF, they are being denied even the basic right to compete for jobs.

The Core Injustice

Across government departments, library posts — from Assistant Librarian to Deputy Librarian, Documentalist, Cataloguer, and beyond — are being filled 100% by promotion, with 0% direct recruitment.

What this means in plain terms:

• General merit is completely shut out. No outsider, no matter how qualified, can even apply.
• Fair competition is killed. Insiders are promoted automatically, regardless of whether they hold advanced professional qualifications.
• Thousands of aspirants are left stranded. Degrees, years of study, and research work become useless on paper.

Why Libraries Need Professionals

Library science is a technical profession. It requires expertise in cataloguing, classification, metadata, digital library systems, research support, and information management. If posts are filled only through promotion, without testing knowledge through open competition, libraries lose:

• Credibility: Institutions end up with staff lacking the latest technical skills.
• Functionality: Libraries risk becoming storage rooms instead of research hubs.
• Outcomes: Students and researchers lose access to properly organized, accessible knowledge.

The Bigger Picture

Many departments in J&K keep certain posts 75% direct recruitment, allowing fresh qualified talent to enter the system. But at the same time, most departments continue to reserve library posts 100% for promotion. This double standard raises a serious question: why should libraries — which are academic and technical at their core — be kept closed to open competition?

Voices from the Ground

Aspirants across J&K are asking:

• If there are no jobs, what do we do with our degrees?
• Why did we work hard to clear NET, SET, JRF if merit is irrelevant?
• Why are libraries treated as non-technical when they require specialized skills?

These are not rhetorical questions — they’re cries of frustration from hundreds of unemployed yet highly qualified professionals.

What Needs to Change

The demand is simple:

• Reinstate direct recruitment in library services across all departments.
• Ensure at least 75% direct recruitment, if not 100%, for technical library posts.
• Recognize that merit, transparency, and equal opportunity are not optional — they’re the foundation of justice.

Final Word

The current system is shutting doors on talent, suffocating opportunity, and weakening institutions. Without change, libraries in J&K risk losing both their professionals and their purpose.

General merit must not be killed. Direct recruitment must be restored. Libraries deserve professionals — not placeholders.