SRINAGAR: In a revealing analysis shared on social media, Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone has highlighted stark regional imbalances in the issuance of reservation certificates across Jammu and Kashmir, terming the findings a “shocker.”
THIS IS A SHOCKER. REGIONALLY —LOSS DUE TO RESERVATIONS MUCH HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED
I had posed some questions pertaining to reservations. And these questions were mostly focused on regional disparities across all categories.
I will summarise it here and will also be…
— Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) March 15, 2025
According to data obtained through a question posed by Lone, since April 1, 2023, the Jammu region has dominated certificate issuance across nearly all categories. Scheduled Caste certificates were issued exclusively in Jammu (67,112 certificates, 100%), with none issued in Kashmir.
In a post on X Sajad Lone said: “The Scheduled Tribe category showed Jammu issuing 459,493 certificates (85.3%), while Kashmir issued only 79,813 (14.7%). Similar imbalances exist in the Economically Weaker Sections (92.3% Jammu, 7.7% Kashmir), Actual Line of Control (94.3% Jammu, 5.7% Kashmir), and International Border categories (100% Jammu). Even in the Reserved Backward Area category, Jammu led with 52.8% of certificates versus Kashmir’s 48.2%.”
Lone emphasised that these disparities reveal a greater loss of quotas for the Kashmiri-speaking population than previously anticipated, asserting that “the whole reservation concept is rigged against the Kashmiri-speaking population and against ST or EWS living in Kashmir.”
He said that even ST populations residing in Kashmir are disadvantaged, comprising only 15% of total applicants from the ST pool.
“While RBA figures appear more balanced, when adjusted for Kashmir’s approximately 7% larger population, the region still lags behind Jammu proportionally,” he added.
Lone also criticised the committee established by the government on December 10, 2024, to address these grievances, noting that it lacks a specific timeline for submitting its report despite previous indications of a six-month deadline.
