Jammu: Amid sustained political rhetoric and concerns raised by leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including those in the ruling government, the Centre today revealed that it has not received a single formal representation opposing any “disproportionate impact” of the existing reservation policy on the open category.
The disclosure has raised questions about the urgency projected by the ruling National Conference (NC) on the issue and cast a spotlight on the narrative surrounding the ongoing debate on reservations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to a query of the ruling NC Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said, “As per the information available with the department, no representation regarding disproportionate impact of the existing reservation structure on the open category has been received.”
The Union Minister’s statement assumes significance in the backdrop of repeated assertions by political leaders in Kashmir, including those in the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who have described the matter as pressing and requiring urgent attention.
On the status of the proposed new quota policy, the Union Minister did not confirm claims made by the Jammu and Kashmir government that the report of a Cabinet Sub-Committee had been forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for final approval.
Instead, Athawale stated, “The government of Jammu and Kashmir has constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee to examine and review issues relating to rationalization of reservation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Committee has submitted its report to the Council of Ministers.”
On December 3 last year, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, after chairing a Cabinet meeting at his residence in Jammu, had announced that his government has successfully “rationalised” the Union Territory’s reservation policy in the “best possible manner” to ensure justice for every community, fulfilling one of the National Conference’s biggest election promises.
While the Chief Minister maintained that the Cabinet had honoured its manifesto commitment without doing injustice to any group, opposition and critics argued that the government’s statements raised more questions than answers. Reports suggesting a possible 10 per cent increase in the OM quota—by bringing down the seven per cent EWS quota and the three per cent RBA quotas—further intensified the debate.
While the Opposition has stepped up its attack against the Omar government, the National Conference, in its defence, had said that the Cabinet had already taken a decision and that the file was pending approval at Raj Bhavan.
The reservation issue has gained prominence in Jammu and Kashmir following the Centre’s decision to expand the list of reserved categories, triggering protests by the ruling NC’s Lok Sabha member Aga Syed Rhullah Mehdi and general category candidates who fear the total quota in govt jobs and seats in educational institutions could reach 70 per cent.
In 2024, the Centre included additional communities under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, following which Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005, increasing ST reservation from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC) were also expanded with the inclusion of 15 new groups.
Following this, the total reservations increased from 43 per cent to 70 per cent of the total in Government jobs/seats, leaving only 30 per cent in the general category, though a majority of the Jammu and Kashmir population falls in this category.
