Digital Desk: As per the latest official communication, the Centre has decided to classify Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh's union territories as 'hard areas' for Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers postings.
The procedures for transfer and posting of IAS and IPS officers of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre have been altered to this effect.
The Jammu and Kashmir cadre was linked with the AGMUT cadre in January 2021. This collaboration was done after the erstwhile state was divided into two union territories on August 5, 2019.
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"Resulting upon the union of the J&K cadre into AGMUT cadre, the case has been reviewed, and with the permission of qualified authority, it has been determined that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh may be classified as Category B (Hard Areas) in the Joint AGMUT Cadre," the home ministry communication stated.
The details of the AGMUT cadre are categorized into two classes, i.e. regular and hard spots.
Category A retains 'regular areas', including postings in Delhi, Chandigarh, Goa, Puducherry, Dadar Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. At the same time, postings in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are "hard areas" or Category B.