Srinagar: PDP leader Waheed Para criticised the Jammu and Kashmir government under Omar Abdullah, claiming that “our institutions aren’t for us, our jobs are on sale, our medical seats are on sale.” His comments targeted Omar’s handling of the reservation issue, raising concerns over the state’s political priorities.
The PDP MLA questioned whether the public trust had become the currency in a system that increasingly seems to operate like a barter system, where positions and opportunities are exchanged for political gain.
Jammu and Kashmir’s new reservation policy has caused protests and legal disputes. Critics argue that it reduces opportunities for some groups while benefiting others. The changes, made after Article 370 was revoked, affect quotas for government jobs and education.
The revised policy reduces open merit (general category) reservations from 57% to 33% and cuts the Reservations for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) from 20% to 10%.
On the other hand, the share for Scheduled Tribes (ST) has doubled from 10% to 20%, and reservations for Socially Backward Castes (SBC) have risen from 2% to 8%. Reservations for people living near the Line of Actual Control (ALC) and the Physically Challenged (PHC) have been slightly increased from 3% to 4%.
The new policy also introduces fresh reservation categories, including 3% for children of defense personnel, 1% for children of police personnel, and 2% for achievers in sports. Additionally, a 10% reservation is granted to the newly recognized Pahari ethnic group, along with other communities like the Paddari tribe, Kolis, and Gadda Brahmins.
The Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, who were granted ST status in 1991, oppose granting ST status to the Pahari group, arguing that they do not meet the criteria. They say this will reduce their chances of government jobs and education.
The policy is also being challenged in court, and the JK government has been asked to respond within three weeks. Regional parties believe the reservation should be fair, without negatively affecting those who don’t receive it.
A three-member panel has been set up by the government to review the policy, but no timeline for its conclusions has been provided. With protests and legal battles ongoing, the policy’s future remains uncertain.
