Two Definitions Of Poverty In Jammu And Kashmir Fuel A Row Over Job Quotas

Since the criteria for EWS conflicts with the official data of the below-poverty-line (BPL) population, political leaders allege that the poor in the Valley are deliberately denied EWS certificates

02 Oct 2026, 18:26 · NDTV

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Different definitions of 'poor' under different policies in Jammu and Kashmir have led to a dispute
A fraction of Kashmir's below-poverty-line (BPL) population got Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) certificate
EWS criteria conflict with BPL data, Sajad Lone has underlined and sought clarity

Will the Centre revise EWS rules for Kashmir?
Srinagar:

How poverty is defined in Jammu and Kashmir has raised concerns and sparked a political debate, as the official data contradicts its own framework and political leaders allege regional bias in favour of Jammu, thus blaming the government for denying jobs to a large section of poor people in the Kashmir Valley.

The metrics and criteria employed by the government in issuing Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) certificates are being questioned. As 10% of jobs are reserved for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) exclusively for General category applicants, a contested definition of EWS has become another flashpoint in the wider reservation debate in the UT. Jammu and Kashmir has a 70 per cent general category population who get less than 40 percent of jobs due to a controversial reservation policy. While Omar Abdullah's National Conference government has recommended changes in the existing policy, that has not been cleared by the BJP-ruled Centre so far.

Since the criteria for EWS conflicts with the official data of the below-poverty-line (BPL) population, political leaders allege that the poor in the Valley are deliberately denied EWS certificates. Sajad Lone, President of the Peoples Conference, presented a detailed note before the J&K assembly. According to Lone, against a BPL population of 55 per cent in Kashmir, only 8 per cent of people have been given an EWS certificate. The remaining 92 per cent of the EWS certificates have been issued in the Jammu region, which has a 45 per cent BPL population as per UT criteria. As per official records, over 26,000 EWS certificates have been issued in J&K over the last two years. Of these, 24,000 have been issued in Jammu and just 2000 in the Kashmir Valley.

Based on the ration cards issued by the UT's Department of Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs, there are 37.71 lakh Priority Household (PHH)/Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration cardholders in the Kashmir Valley and 29.81 lakh in Jammu.

"How can the government spend crores in subsidies for the poor and then deny their poverty when they apply for a job?'' said Sajad Lone, questioning the dual definition. He said there has to be a single uniform definition of poor, and EWS and BPL cardholders cannot be two separate entities.

Sajad Lone has raised the issue of Kashmir not getting a fair deal under EWS reservation.

Sajad Lone said the government is using asset-based criteria to define poor under EWS. "Anybody having a residential house of more than 3.68 marla is 'rich'. Even the poorest have a house of this size in the Kashmir Valley," he said. A revenue official (tehsildar) is authorised to issue an EWS certificate. In several cases, there are allegations of EWS certificates being issued to rich and influential families after manipulation of their asset details, while the poor who are holding BPL ration cards are routinely denied the certificate.

Sakina Itoo, the UT's Minister for Education and Social Welfare, admitted there is a discrepancy, but expressed the J&K Government's helplessness in changing the eligibility criteria for EWS. She said it's the central government that has formulated the eligibility criteria.

Itoo was a member of the cabinet sub-committee which recommended changes in the existing reservation policy in J&K. She said that once the central government gives its nod to the revised reservation policy, it will largely address concerns over the EWS definition.

The skewed poverty definition has a direct impact on the job prospects of people. In response to a question in the UT Assembly, the government said 7,580 job vacancies have been filled in the last two years. Of the 758 jobs reserved for the EWS, 697 jobs have gone to the Jammu region and just 61 to Kashmir.

"By the PHH/AAY ration card criteria, 341 jobs would have gone to the Jammu region, and 417 jobs would have gone to the Kashmir region," said Sajad Lone. "As per the answer to my question in the assembly, there are 49,672 job vacancies to be filled. Quota for EWS at 10 per cent means 4967 jobs. Of them, 4569 jobs are all set to go to the Jammu region, and a meagre 398 will go to the Kashmir region," he argued.

In December last year, Omar Abdullah's government approved a new reservation policy giving more representation to the General category. According to sources, 50 per cent of jobs will now remain available for Open Merit. But even after 10 months, the revised quota policy could not be implemented in the absence of the central government's approval.

After Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its statehood and special status under Article 370 in 2019, there have been major changes in rules, including the reservation in jobs. For example, in March 2024, the Centre granted Scheduled Tribe status to Pahari-speaking people and groups like Paddari, Koli and Gadda Brahmins in J&K. Before the Article 370 abrogation, only Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes were classified as STs with 10 per cent reservation in jobs. After inclusion of Paharis, the quota for ST is now 20 per cent.

Scheduled Castes, OBCs, EWS, Line of Control, Resident of Backward Areas (RBC) are among other categories that take the reservation way above 60 per cent in a place which has a 70 per cent general category population.

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