Neeharika Sharma
In a significant administrative development, the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued orders promoting 29 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) to higher pay scales, with several officers also receiving elevated designations. The orders, issued by the General Administration Department on August 7, 2026, follow Council of Ministers decisions dated August 4, 2026.
Leading the list, JKAS officer Pawan Singh Rathore has been promoted to the Super Time Scale (Level 14), with the promotion effective notionally from September 26, 2025, and on a regular basis prospectively.
Nine officers have been elevated to the Special Scale (Level 13). These include Dr. Sunil Sharma, Zahoor Ahmad Magray, Syed Sajad Qadri, Masarat Hashim, Sonali Arun Gupta, Atul Gupta, Ritu Mahajan, Mohammad Anwar Banday and Dr. Mohammad Tanvir. Of these, Dr. Sunil Sharma, Sonali Arun Gupta, Ritu Mahajan and Mohammad Anwar Banday have been designated as Special Secretary in their respective departments, while the rest will continue at their present postings.
A larger batch of 18 officers has been promoted to the Selection Grade (Level 12). The list includes Akhil Sadotra, Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mumtaz Ahmad Pir, Rachna Sharma, Reyaz Ahmad Shah, Piyush Dhotra, Vikas Sharma, Muzaffar Ahmad Sheikh, Masood Ahmad Wani, Shafqat Majeed Bhat, Tariq Ahmad Reshi, Deepak Kumar, Suheel Ahmad Lone, Shoaib Noor, Javid Ahmad Rather, Musharraf Ali Haf, Shakoor Ahmad Dar and Mohd. Jhangir. Among them, Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Rachna Sharma, Vikas Sharma, Masood Ahmad Wani, Suheel Ahmad Lone and Shoaib Noor have been designated Additional Secretary, while the remaining officers will continue at their existing postings till further orders.
In a separate order, officer Jitender Mishra has been granted the Non-Functional (Monetary) Scheme benefit of Selection Grade, effective retrospectively from January 1, 2020, a financial upgradation that does not entail a change in posting or designation.
All the orders were signed by M. Raju, IAS, Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, and carry a common caveat: the promotions remain subject to the outcome of any writ petitions pending before competent courts of law.
The reshuffle marks one of the larger single day promotion exercises within the J&K administrative cadre in recent months.
