Srinagar, Sept 19: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Saturday led a protest in Srinagar against the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, with demonstrators raising concerns over the share of opportunities available to Open Merit candidates.
Mufti called for greater transparency in the ongoing review of the reservation framework and urged the government to make public the findings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee formed to examine and rationalise the existing reservation policy.
She said students and job aspirants have a right to know the recommendations made by the committee on a policy that directly affects educational and employment opportunities.
The protesters demanded that the committee's report be placed in the public domain and called for the concerns of Open Merit candidates to be addressed through a transparent and consultative process.
The reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir became a contentious issue after amendments to the 2002 reservation rules in 2024. The changes included 10 per cent reservation for Paharis under the Scheduled Tribe category and the addition of more than 15 communities to the Scheduled Caste list.
The amendments led to protests in parts of J&K, including a demonstration outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence in Srinagar in December 2024.
The J&K Government subsequently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee to review and rationalise the reservation framework.
According to the report, the committee's recommendations were forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Lieutenant Governor but were returned with queries. The government later said it addressed the queries and resubmitted the report to the LG.
The issue has continued to draw political attention, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently urging action on his Cabinet's proposal concerning changes to the reservation system.
