Srinagar, Aug. 5 -- A hospital ward without a doctor looks fine until a patient needs help. A classroom without a teacher still has desks and a blackboard, while a road without an engineer's inspection still carries cars.

That is the trick with vacant government posts: the damage remains hidden until someone actually needs the service.

So when Jammu and Kashmir announces a fresh round of hiring, the right response is a question: why did it take this long?

The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board lately advertised 518 posts. Four hundred twenty-one sit in the Health and Medical Education Department. The rest are split among Higher Education, Agriculture Production and Labour and Employment.

Big numbers, sure, but big numbers afte...