SRINAGAR: In one of its most consequential decisions in recent years, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a major overhaul of the Union Territory’s Reservation Policy, paving the way for a substantial expansion of Open Merit seats in Government jobs and professional institutions. The proposal, finalised after months of deliberations, has been sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for approval.
The revision follows the report of the Cabinet Sub Committee, constituted in December 2024 and tasked with examining the escalating concerns over the existing quota structure. The committee submitted its findings in June this year, after which the Law Department reviewed the recommendations.
According to senior officials, the Cabinet has approved a significant reduction in two major quota categories. The Economically Weaker Sections share, previously at ten per cent, has been reduced to three per cent, while the Resident of Backward Area category has been cut from ten per cent to seven per cent. These changes, once approved by the Lieutenant Governor, are expected to increase the Open Merit share to about forty per cent in direct recruitment and close to fifty per cent in vertical reservation, compared with the previous thirty per cent. The exclusion of Ladakh, formerly part of the erstwhile State, has been cited as one of the justifications for recalibrating the RBA quota.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who chaired the ninety-minute Cabinet meeting that examined twenty-two agenda items, said the Government had attempted a balanced and fair restructuring of the reservation framework. Speaking to reporters, he noted that the administration had rationalised the policy in the best possible manner while fulfilling a key election promise. He declined to announce the final percentage breakup, saying the details would be made public after the Lieutenant Governor’s approval and the notification of the revised rules.
Abdullah said the issue required extensive scrutiny, pointing out that this was the third or fourth time the matter had come before the Cabinet after the sub-committee headed by Minister Sakina Itoo submitted its report. Every aspect, he said, had been revisited multiple times to ensure that no section was unfairly treated. The Chief Minister emphasised that the Government had not undertaken the exercise to satisfy any individual or interest group, adding that the process was meant to provide fair opportunities to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
The existing reservation structure in the Union Territory allocates ten per cent each to the Scheduled Tribe-I, Scheduled Tribe-II, RBA, and EWS categories, eight per cent each to Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, and four per cent to the ALC/IB category. Horizontal reservations amount to ten per cent, including six per cent for ex-servicemen and four per cent for persons with disabilities. Several of these percentages had increased in recent years, with reservations touching as high as seventy per cent and, in some cases, eighty per cent, leaving only about thirty per cent seats for Open Merit candidates and triggering widespread resentment.
Speaking on the political debate surrounding the reservation issue, Abdullah said the Government was not swayed by criticism or threats of protest. National Conference Lok Sabha MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi had recently urged the Government to resolve the matter before the end of the winter session of Parliament, warning that he would join the demonstrations if corrective steps were not taken.
The final contours of the new reservation policy, including the precise Open Merit allocation, will be known once Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha examines the Cabinet recommendations and the revised rules are notified.
