The Bachelor of Fisheries Science (B.F.Sc) degree programme, a 4-year ICAR recognised professional degree programme, offered by state and central agriculture universities, is the only Bachelor-level degree programme approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the field of fisheries science. The programme is accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
More than 300 students of Jammu and Kashmir have completed their B.F.Sc./M.F.Sc (graduation/post-graduation) course, with about 50 students graduating every year from SKUAST-Kashmir alone. Unfortunately, these qualified and trained professionals have been so neglected that there are almost no employment opportunities offered to them by the Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries department. Barring a very few non-gazetted cadre positions of Fisheries Development Assistant and Deputy Inspector (Adv. 03 of 2017), Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries department has not notified any vacancies/ posts for recruitment in the last two decades. The recruitment over the last decade, as per records, stands at the lowest when compared to fisheries departments of other states and union territories of the country. This absolutely crushes the life and career prospects of fisheries graduates.
We would also like to highlight the subject of promotional rules of different posts under the Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries department. In the present scenario, most of the non-B.F.Sc. graduates (non-professionals) who are currently working at various positions of Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries department are being promoted to higher positions after certain years of service. Many of the gazetted posts have been fixed for recruitment by the method of promotion. This is creating a sense of injustice for the fisheries professionals (graduates as well as post-graduates) who, after completion of four to six years of degree courses, are not able to get direct recruitment for most of the positions. This has been firmly reflected in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir notification FST/Fish/5A/91-III published on 24-06-2009.
In other cadres like Fisheries Development Officer (FDO), only 20% of direct recruitment and 80% of promotions have been fixed as the method of selection. This is contrary to the recruitment rules in other states and union territories of India. Furthermore, the minimum essential qualification in the department, for various specialised posts, is prejudiced against professional fisheries graduates. The departmental recruitment rules declare that job-seekers from a non-fisheries background (Zoology) as well as non-professional (M.Sc. along with one-year diploma) degree holders are eligible for posts which should be marked out exclusively for B.F.Sc. (4 years) and/or M.F.Sc. holders, like it is in several other states.
Hundreds of fisheries professionals pass out from the Faculty of Fisheries at SKUAST-Kashmir and other central and state agriculture universities every year, but surprisingly the Department of Fisheries, Jammu and Kashmir, offers nothing to them, thus boosting the already large-scale unemployment in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. We request the Hon’ble Lt. Governor Girish C. Murmu, Principal Secretary to the Government, Animal/Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Department, Mr Navin K. Choudhary, and Mr Mohd Amin Mir, Director Fisheries, to please look into our grievances. If the department cannot provide opportunities/ jobs to students of fisheries science, what is the point of offering the course in the universities of Jammu and Kashmir?
It is our humble request to the authorities concerned to create some job opportunities with B.F.Sc being marked as minimum eligibility criteria. We also demand amendments in the promotional rules in the fisheries department with equal emphasis to be given for direct recruitment for various posts.

Thanking you in anticipation Unemployed Fisheries Professionals Forum Jammu and Kashmir

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