J&K Police Constable Recruitment Rules Amended; 15% Quota for SPOs, 5% for In-Service Followers

J&K Police Constable Recruitment Rules Amended; 15% Quota for SPOs, 5% for In-Service Followers

Srinagar, September 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has amended the Police Rules, 1960, introducing a new recruitment framework for the rank of Constable in the J&K Police.

The Home Department, through a notification issued on September 7, 2026, inserted Rule 174-A after Rule 174 of the Jammu and Kashmir Police Rules, 1960. The amendment has been made under the powers conferred by Section 43(3) of the Police Act, Samvat, 1983.

Under the newly notified provision, recruitment to the rank of Constable will now be divided into three streams. Eighty per cent of Constable posts will be filled through direct recruitment, while 15 per cent will be filled through absorption of eligible Special Police Officers (SPOs). The remaining 5 per cent will be filled through promotion of in-service Followers.

The provision gives a defined pathway for eligible SPOs to enter the regular Constable cadre. To qualify under the 15 per cent quota, an SPO must have completed at least three years of engagement, possess the prescribed educational qualifications and meet the required physical standards.

However, eligibility alone will not be sufficient. The notification specifies that such SPOs must also qualify the Physical Standard Test (PST) as prescribed under the rules. In addition, they must have demonstrated excellent performance in Counter-Insurgency (CI) Operations, with such performance being duly approved by the competent authority.

For in-service Followers, five per cent of Constable recruitment will be earmarked for promotion. The provision requires such personnel to have completed a minimum of five years of service, besides possessing the requisite educational qualifications and physical standards. They too will have to qualify the prescribed Physical Standard Test.

The amendment is significant for personnel already serving the police establishment, particularly SPOs and Followers, as it creates a clearly defined route for their induction or advancement into the Constable cadre.

The notification has been issued by Chandraker Bharti, IAS, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department, by order of the Lieutenant Governor.

The latest amendment follows earlier government measures providing opportunities and reservation mechanisms for SPOs and other categories in police recruitment. Official J&K recruitment documents have also previously provided for a 15 per cent horizontal reservation for SPOs in direct Constable recruitment.Key Points
80% Constable posts — Direct recruitment
15% — Absorption of eligible SPOs
5% — Promotion of in-service Followers
SPOs require minimum 3 years’ engagement
Followers require minimum 5 years’ service
Prescribed educational and physical standards mandatory
PST qualification compulsory
SPOs must have excellent CI-operation performance, duly approved by competent authority

The amendment is expected to provide greater career opportunities to serving SPOs and police Followers while retaining direct recruitment as the principal route for induction into the Constable cadre