JNM | Journalist Hardeep Jamwal, Jammu
A crucial meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir government’s Cabinet is scheduled to take place in Srinagar today. The most significant agenda item is expected to be the approval of responses to queries raised by the Central Government regarding the reservation report. The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has prepared these responses following an extensive study and review conducted over the past month; the Cabinet is likely to grant its formal approval to them today.
According to sources, the meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, will be held at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar at 12:00 PM. Taking place after a gap of nearly one and a half months, the meeting will primarily focus on issues related to the reservation system.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had previously raised significant questions regarding the reservation report submitted by the Jammu and Kashmir government. Specifically, clarifications were sought regarding the data and rationale used to propose reducing the reservation quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) from 10% to 3% and for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) from 10% to 7%.
The Social Welfare Department conducted a detailed study to formulate responses to these queries. The department’s prepared response will now be presented to the Cabinet. Upon receiving Cabinet approval, the response will be submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who will then forward it to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Government sources indicate that the meeting agenda also includes proposals from various departments concerning development projects, administrative matters, and officer promotions; however, given the government’s serious stance on the reservation report, the discussion is likely to center predominantly on this issue.
It is noteworthy that the government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, had approved the report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) on December 4, 2025. That report recommended increasing the percentage of jobs and seats in educational institutions allocated to the ‘Open Merit’ category.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee was chaired by Social Welfare Minister Sakina Ittoo, with Ministers Javed Rana and Satish Sharma serving as members. In its report, the committee recommended reducing the EWS reservation from 10 percent to 3 percent and the RBA reservation from 10 percent to 7 percent. The proposal aimed to provide more opportunities to the open merit category by reducing the total reservation quota by 10 percent.
Currently, the total reservation in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 70 percent, leaving only 30 percent of jobs and seats available for the open merit category. This issue has been a source of long-standing discontent among students and the youth.
Under the existing system, the ST-I, ST-II, RBA, and EWS categories each receive 10 percent reservation. Additionally, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) are allocated 8 percent each, while the ALC/IB category receives 4 percent. A 10 percent horizontal reservation is also in place, benefiting ex-servicemen and persons with disabilities.
All eyes are now on the cabinet meeting scheduled for today. If the cabinet approves the responses to the queries raised by the Centre, it will mark another significant step forward regarding the proposed changes to the reservation policy.
