Open Merit Candidates Express Discontent With J&K Reservation Policy

Ashiq Butt | March 23, 2024 | 08:40 AM IST | Jammu, Jammu Kashmir, Srinagar | Follow on Google News

Open Merit Candidates Express Discontent With J&K Reservation Policy

Reservation Policy Sparks Controversy in Jammu & Kashmir

Mohammad Ubair, a 25-year-old NEET aspirant from Srinagar, invested eight months of relentless dedication to his studies, aiming to crack the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). However, his confidence wavered in the past two weeks upon learning about the newly approved reservation policy in Jammu & Kashmir.

On March 15, the Jammu & Kashmir administration sanctioned a 10% reservation for newly included tribes, including Paharis, in the Schedule Tribe (ST) category. This decision, alongside other reservation adjustments, reduced the open merit quota to just 30%, casting a shadow of uncertainty over Ubair’s aspirations.

Controversial Reservation Policy: Impact and Backlash

The approved bill introduces significant changes in reservation quotas, including 10% for newly included tribes and 8% for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). While the government assures that existing ST communities like Gujjars and Bakarwals won’t be affected, the move has sparked widespread anger and dissent, particularly among open merit candidates.

Social media platforms witnessed a flurry of dissent, with individuals like Mir Ruksar and Jasib Shabir voicing concerns about fairness and merit. Critics argue that the reservation policy disrupts the open merit system, leaving deserving candidates overlooked due to their backgrounds.

Challenges and Criticisms: Struggles of Open Merit Candidates

Aspirants like Ubair lament the shrinking opportunities in government jobs and educational institutions due to the revised reservation policies. With the open merit quota slashed to 30%, candidates feel betrayed and marginalized, questioning the justification of a mere 30% share for a population representing 69% of Jammu & Kashmir’s demographics.

Despite officials like Sheetal Nanda defending the policy as constitutional, voices like Vinkal Sharma and Arshad Hussain highlight the desperation and challenges faced by open merit candidates in securing opportunities in government sectors.For Ubair and countless others, the current reservation policies present formidable obstacles to their ambitions of securing jobs in the government sector or educational institutions.

Ashiq Butt

Ashiq Butt – is VoM News's senior staffer worked since year 2015 and he deals with correspondency and social media handles. Hailing from Doda's Marmat, Ashiq has strong grip over the collection of the data and it's compiling feature.