In a major decision aiming to rationalise the existing reservation policy and give representation to Pahari speaking people, the Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G.C Murmu on Thursday approved several amendments in the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005.

 According to the press statement issued by the Jammu & Kashmir Government, there will now be reservation of 8 percent to SCs, 10 percent to STs, 4 percent to Social Caste, 4 percent to Residents of ALC/IB, 10 percent to RBA, 4 percent to PSP and 10 percent to EWSs in direct recruitment.  A horizontal reservation of 6 percent will be available to Ex-Servicemen and 4 percent to PHCs.

For admission in Professional Institutions, the reservation percentages will now be 8% to SCs, 10% to STs, 4% to Social Caste, 4% to ALC, 10% to RBA, 4% to PSP and 10% to EWSs.  A horizontal reservation of 4% will be available to PHCs, the press statement added.

For post graduate courses in MD/MS/M.Tech., Engineering and Agricultural Sciences and similar other postgraduate courses, the revised distribution of seats will be 8 percent to SCs, 10 percent to STs, 10 percent to RBA, 4 percent to ALC/IB, 4 percent to Social Caste, 4 percent to PSP, 2 percent to Children of Defence Personnel/Para-military forces and J&K Police Personnel, 1 percent to candidates possessing outstanding proficiency in sports and 10 percent to EWSs.     

According to the government spokesman, “there are around 9.6 lakh Pahari speaking people across Jammu and Kashmir spread over mainly in Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla (Uri and Boniyar), Kupwara (Karna and Keran) and pockets of Anantnag, Budgam, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Pulwama and Shopian”.

 Following the reorganization of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2004, it had become imperative to rationalize the existing reservation percentages to give representation to the Pahari speaking people in the matters thereto.  For this purpose, necessary amendments have been approved in the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005 to include PSP in the category of socially and educationally backward classes.

As per the extant reservation rules, the percentage of reservation in direct recruitments is 8 percent to Scheduled Castes (SCs), 10 percent to Scheduled Tribes (STs), 2 percent to Weaker and under privileged Classes (Social Caste), 3 percent to Residents of areas adjoining Line of Actual Control (ALC)/International Border (IB),  20 percent to Residents of backward areas (RBA).  There is also a horizontal reservation of 6 percent available to Ex-Servicemen and 3 percent to Physically Challenged Persons (PHC).