JK government to defreeze half of teacher posts blocked since 2018

July 15, 2025 by News Desk

The Jammu Kashmir government is preparing to unfreeze nearly 3,300 General Line Teacher (GLT) posts, years after they were held back in a controversial decision that left many schools understaffed.

The move comes after Education Minister Sakina Itoo held a departmental review meeting this week, where she instructed officials to initiate the process of reclaiming 50% of the 6,576 GLT posts that had been blocked in December 2018 under the administration led by the then governor Satyapal Malik.

These posts were originally frozen under a State Administrative Council (SAC) directive to accommodate salary disbursal for Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers transitioning into regular roles.

Officials familiar with the matter said that the proposed unfreezing would enable new recruitment through the Jammu Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), and the timeline for the existing arrangement may be extended up to 2034 to make room for this transition.

The Education minister is reportedly pushing for a fresh influx of teaching staff to address a widening gap in manpower across government schools.

Vacancies at higher administrative levels were also flagged during the meeting, as per reports received by The Kashmiriyat.

Sakina too emphasized immediate filling of key posts such as Chief Education Officers (CEOs), Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs), Principals, and Headmasters.

All promotion-related vacancies are to be processed by July 31, with the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) receiving proposals for Departmental Promotion Committees in parallel.

Raising concerns about gender disparity in education, Itoo also urged officials to focus on improving female literacy and ensure 100% pass rates at the secondary and senior secondary levels.

“The gap in literacy rates between boys and girls needs urgent redressal. Every girl should have access to quality education,” she stressed.

The meeting also addressed infrastructure deficits in the school system.

Several government schools are reportedly still operating out of rented spaces.