New reservation policy to benefit 1.25 crore in J&K

NEW DELHI: Around 18% of Jammu & Kashmir’s 1.25 crore population, covering 8% scheduled castes and 10% scheduled tribes will get the benefit of promotion in reservation after a wait of 24 years.

Besides, residents of Jammu, Kathua and Samba, who have of late been bearing brunt of cross-border firing and shelling, will get the benefit of 3% reservation in government jobs.

The Cabinet on Thursday cleared three decisions related to reservation benefits in J&K. The first related to making 10% EWS quota applicable to the state on the lines of the rest of India introduced through the 103rd Constitution amendment passed in January. The second decision was to apply the 77th Constitution Amendment of 1995, extending benefit of promotion to SCs and STs to J&K.

The third relates to 3% reservation extended so far only to the people living in villages within 6 km of LoC in J&K. An amendment to J&K Reservation Act, 2004, has now been cleared by providing the benefit of 3% reservation to residents or border villages along the international border as well.

Due to cross-border tensions,, persons living alongside international border suffer from socio-economic and educational backwardness. Hence, it felt justifiable to extend reservation benefits to persons residing in areas along international border as is the case with those residing along LoC.