The existing reservation rules have once again triggered debate in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, as the Omar Abdullah government today clarified that no specific timeline has been set for the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) constituted to review the prevailing quota system.
Reacting to the government's response, Peoples' Conference chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone observed that the existing reservation rules are unfair to residents of the Kashmir Valley.
Quoting data tabled by the government in the Legislative Assembly in a written reply to his question, Lone said, "This is a shocker."
"I had posed some questions regarding reservations, primarily focusing on regional disparities across all categories," he stated, adding, "Kashmir, as a region, is far behind. The net loss of quotas to the Kashmiri-speaking population is on a much larger scale than we had anticipated."
Lone further pointed out, "The entire reservation system is biased against the Kashmiri-speaking population and against Scheduled Tribes (STs) or Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) living in Kashmir."
THIS IS A SHOCKER. REGIONALLY —LOSS DUE TO RESERVATIONS MUCH HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) March 15, 2025
I had posed some questions pertaining to reservations. And these questions were mostly focused on regional disparities across all categories.
I will summarise it here and will also be…
"Even the ST population in Kashmir is a net loser. They constitute only 15 percent of the total applicants from the ST pool," he said while quoting the government's reply.
"The status of residents of Backward Areas (RBA) is almost the same, but when adjusted for population, it is still lower. The population of Kashmir is approximately 7 percent higher than that of Jammu. The proportion of RBA-designated areas is also nearly the same, yet in numerical terms, Kashmir lags behind Jammu," he said.
"And lastly, the committee set up by the government on December 10, 2024, to examine grievances has no specific timeline for submitting its report. We were initially told it had a six-month deadline," he added.
No Timeline Set for CSC
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday clarified that no specific timeline has been set for the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) constituted to review reservation rules.
In a written reply to Lone's question, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly that while the CSC was established through Government Order No. 2061-JKGAD of 2024, dated December 10, 2024, no deadline has been fixed for the submission of its report.
"The Cabinet Sub-Committee has been constituted to examine grievances raised by a section of aspirants regarding reservation rules. However, no specific timeline has been set for submitting the report," the minister stated.
Lone had sought clarification on whether a six-month deadline had been assigned to the ministerial panel for presenting its findings.
The minister also provided details on the issuance of reservation certificates across Jammu and Kashmir since April 1, 2023. According to government data, 5,26,605 SC/ST certificates were issued in Jammu, while only 67,813 were issued in Kashmir.
Under the Actual Line of Control (ALC), International Border (IB), and Reserved Backward Area (RBA) categories, 2,198 villages in Jammu and 1,245 villages in Kashmir have benefited from reservation provisions.
Additionally, 29,963 certificates under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category have been issued across J&K, with 27,420 in Jammu and only 2,273 in Kashmir.
CSC Constituted to Review Reservation Rules in J&K
On December 10, 2024, the Jammu and Kashmir government issued an official order to constitute a Cabinet Sub-Committee to review the reservation policy in the Union Territory.
The order was issued as a follow-up to a decision taken by Omar Abdullah's Cabinet on November 22, calling for a comprehensive review of reservations in government jobs.
According to the order issued by Sanjeev Verma, Commissioner/Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD) of J&K, the Cabinet Sub-Committee comprises three ministers: Sakeena Masood, Javed Ahmad Rana, and Satish Sharma.
This committee has been tasked with examining grievances raised by aspirants for various posts regarding reservation rules, in consultation with all stakeholders.
"The committee shall be assisted by the Social Welfare Department and will submit its report to the Council of Ministers," the order states.
