SRINAGAR: The bill proposing amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, which allocates reserved seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, has been tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The bill aims to designate one-third of the total reserved seats for SCs and STs to women within those categories. Likewise, one-third of the remaining reserved seats will be allocated to women from the general category.
In the House of 90, seven seats are reserved for SCs (eight per cent) and nine for STs (10 per cent). The bill specifies that among the seven seats for SCs, three will be reserved for SC women, and among the nine seats for STs, three will be earmarked for ST women. Additionally, out of the 74 General Category seats, 25 will be reserved for General Category Women.
The bill highlights that 31 seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be reserved for women, encompassing those for SCs and STs. This reservation will be in addition to the two seats nominated from among women in the Legislative Assembly, with one seat specifically for a Kashmir Pandit migrant woman.
The Women Reservation Bill passed in the Lok Sabha on December 12, emphasises that the reserved seats for women in the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will become effective after a delimitation exercise, following the relevant figures from the first census post the commencement of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Second Amendment) Act, 2023.
The bill further states that these reservations will persist until Parliament, by law, determines otherwise. The rotation of women-reserved seats will come into effect after subsequent delimitation exercises, as determined by Parliament.
To enhance the representation of women in the legislative process, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 has been introduced, aiming to reserve approximately one-third of the total seats in the Legislative Assembly for women.
The bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on December 12, is set to be discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, provided there are no disruptions. During the ongoing winter session, Parliament has already passed two bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, including one that grants two nominated seats to Kashmiri Pandit migrants, with one of them being a woman. Another bill, providing reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, has also received approval.
