SRINAGAR: More than 5.30 lakh category certificates were issued across Jammu and Kashmir between January 2025 and August 1, 2026, with the Jammu division accounting for nearly 4.84 lakh of them, the Legislative Assembly was informed on Tuesday.
According to the Social Welfare Department’s reply to a Question by Handwara MLA Sajad Gani Lone, 4,84,202 category certificates were issued in Jammu division during the period, while 86,198 certificates were issued in Kashmir division, taking the total to 5,70,400 certificates.
The department also reported 49,953 rejected cases in Jammu division and 11,316 in Kashmir division during the period.
The government said there were no cases in which individuals were found to have obtained category certificates through misrepresentation of facts or fraud during the period covered by the question.
On the status of implementation of the Cabinet recommendation on reservation, however, the government declined to disclose details. It said the recommendations had been submitted to the competent authority, but the information sought regarding the decision and proceedings of the Cabinet was secret in nature and therefore could not be provided under Rule 38, clause (xxi), of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
The same provision was cited in refusing to disclose details of queries, if any, raised by the Union Government on the Cabinet recommendation and the responses furnished by the J&K Government.
On the demand for relaxation of the criteria for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), including removal of the asset-based conditions, the government said there was presently no proposal under consideration to relax the existing criteria.
The department said that under the J&K Reservation Rules, EWS status applies to families not covered by reservation for SCs, STs and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, having a gross annual income below Rs 8 lakh and not possessing assets specified under the rules.
The government also clarified that possession of a Priority Household (PHH) ration card by itself does not replace the prescribed income and asset criteria for determining EWS status.
On whether the reservation framework would provide proportionate representation to different categories, including the open merit category, on the basis of the forthcoming Census data, the government said the matter would be examined in accordance with the applicable legal provisions once the Census-2027 data becomes available.
The figures and responses were furnished by the Social Welfare Department in reply to Sajad Gani Lone’s Assembly question seeking the status of reservation-related Cabinet recommendations, category certificate data and possible changes in the EWS criteria.
