NEW DELHI, Jan 10 (2026): In a landmark development for hundreds of job aspirants, the Supreme Court of India has cleared the decks for the completion of the long-stalled recruitment process for Jail Warders in Jammu and Kashmir, a process that originated nearly two decades ago.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Union Territory administration, which sought to challenge a Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court order.
By refusing to interfere with the lower court’s judgment, the apex court has effectively ended years of legal uncertainty for candidates who first applied for these 73 positions in the Prisons Department back in 2005.
The legal battle reached its conclusion after the J&K and Ladakh High Court previously criticized the authorities for their “arbitrary” decision to cancel the recruitment in 2019, despite the process being substantially complete.
The High Court had noted that candidates had successfully cleared physical tests in 2010 and literacy exams in 2011, yet the results were kept lingering for over 13 years. Rejecting the government’s claims of procedural irregularities, the court emphasized that no evidence of malpractice existed and that the Law Department itself had twice advised against withdrawing the selection.
With the Supreme Courtโs dismissal of the SLP, the authorities are now mandated to finalize the selection within three months, offering a “sympathetic view” to candidates who have since crossed the age limit while waiting for justice.
