Job Discrimination Against J&K's General Category: 70% of Population Receives Less Than 40% of Government Positions

The general category in Jammu and Kashmir, which constitutes 70% of the population, receives less than 40% of government job allocations due to the current reservation policy.

In Srinagar, members of the general category have raised concerns about discrimination in government recruitment processes. This is attributed to the reservation policy that was implemented during direct central administration of the Union Territory.

Assembly sessions witnessed heated debates among legislators regarding this controversial policy. Members argued that the system undermines merit and deprives qualified candidates of deserved opportunities due to disproportionate reservation allocations.

Approximately two weeks ago, the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet endorsed a report from a specially formed sub-committee tasked with evaluating existing job reservation quotas. However, there remains uncertainty about whether the general category will receive an equitable share.

"Reservations in Jammu and Kashmir have become deeply problematic, effectively eliminating merit-based selection and denying opportunities to deserving candidates. The lack of transparency is puzzling," stated Peoples Conference leader and MLA Sajad Lone.

He further questioned, "Why is the government withholding information? While this occurred during central administration, why does it persist under elected leadership? This situation is truly perplexing."

The National Conference had promised to reassess reservation policies in their election platform. Following the establishment of an elected government in October 2024, this issue has emerged as a significant challenge for Omar Abdullah's administration.

The government faces a complex dilemma - reducing reservations for any protected category would be politically difficult, while ignoring the general category that represents the majority of the population is politically untenable.

Many citizens are questioning why the sub-committee's report remains unpublished even after two weeks, and why the cabinet's decision hasn't been forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor for official approval.

The National Conference has affirmed its commitment to making the report public and ensuring fair treatment for all demographic segments.

"The chief minister is determined to release the report publicly. I believe it's nearly complete. After receiving legal department clearance, it will be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor for approval. We're committed to ensuring everyone receives their rightful allocation," stated NC spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq.

Since Jammu and Kashmir's conversion to a Union Territory and the revocation of special status under Article 370 in 2019, numerous regulatory changes have occurred, including modifications to reservation policies.

In March of the previous year, the central government granted Scheduled Tribes status to Pahari-speaking communities and groups such as Paddari, Koli, and Gadda Brahmins in the region. Previously, only Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes held ST status with a 10% job reservation. Following the inclusion of Pahari communities, the ST category reservation quota increased to 20%.

With additional reservations for SC, OBC, and EWS categories, the total reservation allocation in Jammu and Kashmir now exceeds 60% of available government positions.