New Delhi: On Friday, the Rajya Sabha addressed and deliberated on three bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to introduce reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies and modify the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Union territory.
These bills—Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024; and Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024—had been previously approved by the Lok Sabha earlier in the week.
The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposed by GoI Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, aims to establish reservations for OBCs in local bodies within the Union territory.
The current setup lacks provisions for OBC seat reservations in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which adds the Valmiki community to the list of Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir, equating it with Chura, Balmiki, Bhangi, and Mehtar communities. This bill proposes amendments to the 1956 Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order that outlines the Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Additionally, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, put forth by the GoI Minister of Tribal Affairs & Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, seeks to amend the 1989 Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order.
This bill aims to create separate lists for Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, adding four communities—Gadda Brahmin, Koli, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group—to the Scheduled Tribes list in Jammu and Kashmir.
