SRINAGAR: In a significant move towards societal inclusion, the Administrative Council under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has approved amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005. These amendments, proposed by the Social Welfare Department, are in line with recent legislative changes and recommendations aimed at enhancing representation and opportunities for marginalised communities.
In light of addition of four new tribes, Pahari Ethnic Group, Paddari Tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins, to the Scheduled Tribes Order as applicable to the JK by the Parliament, the Administrative Council approved 10 percent reservation in favour of newly added tribes taking the overall reservation for STs to 20 percent. In order to ensure that both already notified and now newly added tribes get benefits of reservation equally and separately, the AC approved an equal and separate 10 percent reservation for them.
The AC also approved the addition of 15 new castes in OBCs and enhancement of reservation in favour of OBCs to 8 per cent which will meet the long pending demand of the OBC category in the UT. It also approved change in nomenclature and synonymy of some castes as recommend by the SEBC Commission.
Approval was also accorded to replace the term physically challenged persons or handicapped wherever appearing in the rules with the term Persons with Disabilities in conformity with the provisions of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The said amendments shall fulfill the long pending demands of these communities regarding their right to adequate representation in government jobs and professional courses, which they stood hitherto deprived of, due to their social, educational and economical backwardness.
On February 9, this year, the Rajya Sabha passed three legislations relating to Jammu and Kashmir including the bill to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes in local bodies to bring consistency in the local bodies’ laws of the Union territory with the provisions of the Constitution.
Rajya Sabha passed the 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.
The three bills were earlier passed by Lok Sabha
