10% reservation approved for Paharis

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, March 15

To pacify Gujjars and Bakerwals who were enjoying 10% reservation under the Scheduled Tribe status and had been opposing the inclusion of Paharis, Paddari tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins in the ST list, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has given an additional reservation of 10 per cent to these four categories. Thus, the 10% ST reservation of Gujjars and Bakerwals will remain intact.

20% quota for scheduled tribes

• The 10% quota of Gujjars and Bakerwals under the ST category will remain intact as the Paharis, Paddari tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins, who recently got the ST tag, will have separate 10% quota.
• The move is seen as an attempt to pacify Gujjars and Bakerwals who were opposing the new additions under the ST list.

Paharis, Paddaris, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins were recently added in the ST list by the Central government. Now, the ST reservation will have two headers and they will have 10% reservation each. The first of these two categories under the ST status include Gujjars and Bakerwals and the second header includes Paharis, Paddari tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins.

The Administrative Council approved the proposal of the Social Welfare Department to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005, in light of Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023 dated December 15 last year, Constitution (Jammu & Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Act-2024, Constitution (Jammu & Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act-2024 and recommendations of Jammu and Kashmir Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission constituted.

“In light of addition of four new tribes, including Pahari ethnic group, Paddari tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins, under the ST category as applicable to J&K by Parliament, the Administrative Council approved 10% reservation in favour of the newly added tribes, taking the overall reservation for STs to 20%. In order to ensure that both already notified and now newly added tribes get benefits of reservation equally and separately, the AC approved an equal and separate percentage of reservation for them i.e. 10% each,” an official stated.

As per the order, the Gujjar and Bakerwals who already enjoy ST status and were protesting addition of four new groups will keep on getting their their separate quota of 10%.

The AC also approved the addition of 15 new castes in OBCs and enhancement of reservation in favour of OBCs to 8%, which will meet the long pending demand of the OBC category in the UT. It also approved change in nomenclature and synonymy of some castes as recommend by the SEBC Commission.

Approval was also accorded to replace the term “physically challenged” persons or “handicapped” wherever appearing in the rules with the term “Persons with Disabilities” in conformity with the provisions of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

15 new OBC castes

The Administrative Council approves addition of 15 new castes in the OBC list and enhancement of reservation in favour of OBCs to 8%. It also approved change in nomenclature of some castes.