Srinagar: The Centre has laid out the existing reservation framework in Jammu and Kashmir, while confirming that no fresh socio-economic or caste-based census has been conducted in the Union Territory following recent amendments to reservation rules.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4094, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said reservation data for States and UTs is not centrally maintained, but detailed provisions applicable to J&K have been specified separately.
As per the annexure attached to the reply, reservation in direct recruitment in J&K includes 8% for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 20% for Scheduled Tribes (STs). Among socially and educationally backward classes, quotas are distributed as 8% for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 4% for residents near the Line of Actual Control/International Border (ALC/IB), and 10% for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA).
Additionally, 10% reservation is provided for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), 6% for ex-servicemen, and 4% for persons with disabilities, with the latter two treated as horizontal reservations.
Similar provisions apply to admissions in professional institutions, where SCs and STs receive 8% and 20% reservation respectively, while OBC, ALC/IB, and RBA categories retain the same distribution. EWS candidates are allocated 10%, and persons with disabilities receive 4% reservation.
Horizontal quotas within this category include 3% for children of defence personnel, 1% for children of paramilitary and UT police personnel, and 2% for outstanding sportspersons.
Addressing the rationale behind sub-categorisation, the Centre said the Jammu and Kashmir government had constituted a Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission under Justice G.D. Sharma. Based on its recommendations, Parliament enacted amendments to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders in 2024, introducing sub-categories within Scheduled Tribes to ensure balanced and equitable distribution of reservation benefits.
On the question of data backing these classifications, the government clarified that no fresh census has been carried out in J&K since the notification of amendments to the J&K Reservation Rules, 2004, issued in March 2024.
The Centre also indicated that the issue of rationalisation is under consideration. A Cabinet sub-committee constituted by the J&K government has already submitted its report on reviewing the reservation framework to the Council of Ministers. The reply comes amid ongoing debates over representation and equity in the Union Territory, where demands for revisiting reservation percentages and categories have gained momentum in recent months.
