J&K panel drafts report on quota policy; Oppn, students seek transparency

The cabinet sub-committee constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir government to review the reservation policy in the Union Territory (UT) has completed its report and will submit it in the next cabinet meeting, Health and Education Minister Sakina Itoo said on Tuesday.

However, opposition parties and student groups representing the open merit category have criticised the minister’s remarks as “vague” and called for the immediate public release of the report.

In 2024, the UT administration under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha granted a 10% reservation to the Pahari community, increasing the total share of reserved seats for various categories to 60%, leaving only 40% for open merit candidates in government jobs. The move sparked widespread criticism. After Omar Abdullah assumed office as Chief Minister last year, students and opposition leaders demanded a review of the policy.

Under mounting pressure and amid student protests, the Omar Abdullah-led government announced the formation of a cabinet sub-committee to examine grievances regarding the reservation framework.

On Tuesday, marking the end of the committee’s six-month timeline, Minister Itoo confirmed that the panel had completed its report. “The report will be placed before the Cabinet when it meets,” she wrote on X.

The Open Merit Students Association (J&K), a group representing general category students, rejected the statement, calling it a “vague response from the sub-committee.”

“Saying the report will be ‘placed before the Cabinet when it meets’ means nothing without a fixed date. There is no mention of a Cabinet meeting, no roadmap, and no clarity on when action will be taken,” the association said in a statement. “If the report is ready, then we demand it be made public immediately. The open merit community has waited long enough and will not be silenced by more ambiguity or false hope.”

“This is a matter of justice, not politics,” the association added. “We will continue to raise our voice until there is full accountability.”

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para also demanded the report be made public. “Students are demanding answers, not delays,” he posted on X. “Why hold back the cabinet committee report on merit? After your government’s adverse stand on merit in court, intentions, not actions, are under question. After six years of an unelected government, the least people deserve is transparency.”

The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by jailed MP Engineer Rashid, also criticised the handling of the issue.

“A remark by NC Minister Sakina Itoo that the report will be placed before the Cabinet when it meets is vague,” said AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi. “This is not just negligence—it is betrayal. The NC’s crocodile tears for merit are now exposed. “This time, not only must the report be made public but the resolution on reservation must also be presented without further prevarication,” he added.