As opposition parties and rebel National Conference Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi intensify their attacks on the ruling National Conference, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has convened a high-level Cabinet meeting on December 3.
The meeting is expected to take up several landmark decisions, including a proposed increase in the Open Merit quota for jobs and educational institutions.
According to official sources, the meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu. It will be the first formal Cabinet session following the annual Durbar Move.
Senior officials confirmed that a comprehensive revamp of the reservation framework will dominate the discussions. The government is considering amendments to the Reservation Rules to rationalize quotas—particularly those for the Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)—to facilitate a larger share for Open Merit candidates.
Currently, the EWS quota is capped at 10 percent under central guidelines, though revisions may be explored if justified. The RBA category, once allotted 20 percent, was reduced to 10 percent amid concerns that the benefits were being monopolized by influential groups rather than genuinely disadvantaged communities.
Background and Recent Developments
The push for rationalisation gained momentum after the government set up a Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) on December 10, 2024, following widespread protests by general category aspirants. The CSC submitted its recommendations on June 10, 2025, which were later vetted by the Law Department. These proposals will now be placed before the Cabinet for final consideration. Any decision taken will ultimately require the Lieutenant Governor's approval.
Reservations in Jammu and Kashmir include:
- Scheduled Castes (SC): 8%
- Scheduled Tribes (ST): 10%
- Other Backward Classes (OBC): 8%
- Residents of Backward Areas (RBA): 10%
- Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): 10%
- People living along the Line of Actual Control/International Border: 4%
- Paharis and other tribes: 10%
- Horizontal Reservation (10%): For Ex-servicemen and Persons with Disabilities
The issue resurfaced recently when the Finance Department advertised 600 Accounts Assistant posts, allocating only 240 (40 percent) to the Open Merit category. The remaining 360 posts were distributed across reserved categories—48 for SC, 60 each for ST-I and ST-II, 48 for OBC, 24 for ALC/IB, 60 for RBA, and 60 for EWS.
This distribution triggered strong protests from Open Merit aspirants, who accused the government of sidelining them in recruitment and renewed their demand for a comprehensive policy overhaul.
Chief Minister's Stand
Responding to these concerns, Omar Abdullah earlier assured that the matter would be taken up in the next Cabinet meeting.
"A Cabinet meeting will be held. We were constrained earlier because I did not want anyone to sabotage the process by approaching the Election Commission during the Model Code of Conduct. Now that the elections are over, the concerned minister will present the memo, and we will discuss it," Abdullah said while addressing reporters after his party's two-day working committee meeting on November 28.
The December 3 Cabinet meeting is expected to be pivotal, with decisions likely to reshape Jammu and Kashmir's reservation landscape for years to come.
