Jammu: The reported issuance of an 'admit card' by the Services Selection Board (SSB) to a 'donkey' in Jammu and Kashmir has triggered a controversy over the credibility of the recruiting agency following which the state government downplayed the incident.

Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said that the incident would have no impact on the credibility of the recruiting agency.

Reacting to the controversy, J&K Education Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said that a prankster reportedly got an admit card issued by the SSB in the name of "Kachur Khar" (brown donkey) to write the examination for recruitment of Naib Tehsildars.

The SSB examination for recruitment of Naib Tehsildars is scheduled for Sunday.

''I don't think it (reported issuance of an admit card to a donkey) is going to dent the image of the SSB. It is a technology-driven era and the cards are computer generated,'' Bukhari was quoted as saying by PTI.

The issuance of the admit card to a donkey by the SSB soon went viral on the social media, although it was deleted by the board from its system immediately.

A photograph of the admit card was also widely circulated on Twitter and Facebook. The admit card has the animal's photograph on it.

The social media users, however, grabbed the opportunity to criticise the recruiting agency for the apparent lapse.

In 2015, the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations in J&K had issued an admit card to a "cow" to write an examination.

(With PTI inputs)