Govt Jobs for Open Merit Candidates in J&K May See Major Boost
In a significant policy development, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that his government has officially accepted the Cabinet Subcommittee (CSC) report on reservation reforms.
Srinagar: In a significant policy development, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that his government has officially accepted the Cabinet Subcommittee (CSC) report on reservation reforms. The report has now been forwarded to the Law Department for legal examination and expert commentary.
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Objective: Rationalising Government Job Reservations
The ruling National Conference (NC) government formed the CSC, comprising five ministers, to review and recommend changes in the state’s reservation system. The primary goal is to make government job and professional course reservations more open and merit-friendly, a long-standing demand from various quarters.
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Current Reservation System Under Scrutiny
Currently, 70% of government jobs and professional course seats are allocated to various reserved categories, including:
- Scheduled Tribes (STs)
- Scheduled Castes (SCs)
- Other Backward Classes (OBCs)
- Residents of Backward Areas (RBAs)
- Line of Control (LoC) residents
- Physically challenged candidates
This leaves only 30% of seats for open merit candidates. Any move to increase open merit quotas would require reducing existing reservations, a politically sensitive and constitutionally challenging step.
Legal and Political Roadblocks Ahead
Omar Abdullah acknowledged that changes would not be straightforward due to the constitutional limitations introduced after the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, which followed the abrogation of Article 370. The pressing legal question remains: Can a Union Territory government amend reservation policies established by Parliament?
Omar Abdullah Targets Critics
Responding to criticism from political opponents Mehbooba Mufti and Sajad Gani Lone, Omar Abdullah said,
“They remained silent on reservations when in power, but are now targeting the NC government for taking proactive steps.”
He defended his administration’s initiative to form the CSC and implement its recommendations, positioning it as a responsible and long-overdue reform.
