The government recently organised a grand ceremony to hand over appointment orders to 120 engineers. There were photographs, speeches, smiles, applause, and enough publicity to make one wonder whether a new industry had been established in Jammu and Kashmir. Upon closer examination, however, the achievement turned out to be something far less revolutionary, candidates selected through a competitive process were formally informed that they had indeed been selected through a competitive process.

In a functioning meritocracy, this should be a routine administrative exercise. Yet, in contemporary politics, even the delivery of an appointment letter risks being transformed into a victory parade. The scenes were so intense that one almost expected the Chief Minister to announce, “After years of intensive research, my government has finally discovered the secret formula for producing engineers, engineering examinations.”

The irony is impossible to miss. These young engineers were not recruited because a minister spotted them while strolling through a park. They were not appointed because they attended a political rally, carried party flags,........

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