SRINAGAR: Open merit candidates have consistently secured fewer positions than those from various reserved categories in Jammu and Kashmir’s premier civil services over the past three years, official data tabled in the ongoing Legislative Assembly session has revealed.
In the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) alone, 39 open merit candidates were selected in 2023 compared to a combined total of 50 candidates across Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Economically Weaker Section, and other reserved categories. The following year, while open merit selections rose to 56, the reserved categories together accounted for 43 positions. So far in 2025, only 24 open merit candidates have been selected, while reserved categories continue to maintain nearly equal representation across the Administrative, Accounts, and Police services.
For the Jammu and Kashmir Accounts Service, 29 open merit selections were made in 2023, followed by 27 in 2024 and 15 in 2025, with the remaining share distributed among the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, RBA, and other categories. Similarly, in the Police Service, 26 open merit candidates made it in 2023, 25 in 2024, and 9 in 2025, with the balance of seats taken by reserved categories.
While the data does not suggest an explicit quota breach, the steady numerical advantage of reserved categories has reignited debate over fairness and representation, especially among open merit aspirants who argue that opportunities have become “structurally narrower.”
Responding to the issue, the Government clarified that the current reservation structure is governed by the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, and the Rules framed in 2005, read with SO 176 of 2024 dated March 15, 2024. It acknowledged that several grievances have been received regarding the present system, prompting the constitution of a Cabinet Sub-Committee in December 2024 to review and rationalise the reservation policy “in consultation with all stakeholders.”
“The Cabinet Sub-Committee has already submitted its report to the Council of Ministers, which will finalise it after obtaining requisite approvals,” the official reply said.
The Government also cited the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992), which held that reservations should ordinarily not exceed 50 per cent, though the ceiling could be relaxed in extraordinary circumstances. It further referred to the 2022 verdict in Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India, which upheld 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and clarified that the 50 per cent limit was a “rule of prudence” rather than a rigid cap.
“The reservation framework in Jammu and Kashmir broadly aligns with constitutional provisions and judicial principles,” the Government maintained, adding that the ongoing review seeks to strike a balance between equality and affirmative action.
Officials said that while region-wise data is not maintained since these services fall under the Union Territory cadre, the overall selection pattern reflects both social diversity and the structural weight of the current reservation matrix — an issue now under active reconsideration at the policy level.
