Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Nov 08
Jammu and Kashmir Bank’s decision to set the upper age limit at 30 years for its latest recruitment drive has triggered demands from job aspirants and political leaders to raise the ceiling to 40 years.
The bank has advertised 1356 vacancies, including 323 Probationary Officer and 1033 Banking Associate posts. The general-category eligibility age is 20 to 30 years as of January 1, 2026.
The notification provides age relaxation for reserved categories under applicable rules. Candidates who have completed apprenticeship training with the bank are also eligible for an additional year’s relaxation and bonus marks in the Banking Associate examination.
Applications opened on November 7 and will close on November 26. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection will conduct the examinations.
Javed Ahmad, a job aspirant from Anatnag, questioned the age restriction, arguing that the bank’s majority government ownership and its role in the region’s financial sector warranted reconsideration of the eligibility criteria.
CPI(M) legislator Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami, urged the bank to review the age limit and bring it in line with recruitment norms followed by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board.
People’s Democratic Party legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para and MLA Budgam Aga Muntazir also sought an increase in the upper age limit to 40 years.
The legislators said the existing restriction excluded candidates who had spent several years waiting for recruitment opportunities.
The demand has centred on the difference between the bank’s recruitment criteria and those followed by several government recruitment processes in Jammu and Kashmir, which have allowed open-merit candidates an upper age limit of 40 years, subject to the applicable rules.
The bank’s eligibility conditions affect candidates who have crossed 30 while pursuing higher education, preparing for competitive examinations or waiting for employment opportunities.
The age-limit debate comes against the backdrop of unemployment among young people in Jammu and Kashmir.
