PDP protests in Srinagar, demands release of J&K reservation report

PDP workers held the protest at the party headquarters in Srinagar under the leadership of party leader Iltija Mufti. They demanded the immediate release of the report and called for its recommendations to be placed before the public for discussion.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) staged a protest in Srinagar on Saturday, demanding that the report of the cabinet sub-committee on Jammu and Kashmir's reservation policy be made public, a day ahead of the Assembly's autumn session.

PDP workers held the protest at the party headquarters in Srinagar under the leadership of party leader Iltija Mufti. They demanded the immediate release of the report and called for its recommendations to be placed before the public for discussion.

Holding placards and raising slogans, the protesters raised concerns over the existing reservation system, particularly issues related to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and residential criteria. The cabinet sub-committee was constituted to examine grievances surrounding the reservation policy and suggest measures for its rationalisation.

Addressing the protesters from atop a vehicle, Iltija Mufti accused the Jammu and Kashmir government of delaying the release of the report, saying the issue is directly linked to the future of students and job aspirants.

She demanded that the committee's recommendations be made public instead of being kept confidential.

"Three months after the NC government came to power, we had participated in a protest outside Omar Sahib's residence. To halt that protest, Omar Sahib had assured 'open merit' students that he would bring the committee's report to light and resolve their issues within six months. Two years have passed since then. We have not seen that report to this day. Furthermore, the jobs being advertised and the recruitment processes currently underway where candidates are being selected and employed do not include anyone from this category at all," Mufti said.

Mufti further said, "We have come here to remind Omar sahab that prior to the 2024 elections, you had stated you would make the findings of this report public. Since then, you have not released that report. You are selling jobs; regarding the outsourcing issue, you had promised the youth here that you would abolish temporary jobs and regularize them. Instead, you are selling jobs here."

She added, "We have come here to seek justice. You tell us—how long are our youth, whose parents work as laborers and mortgage their land, expected to keep taking such exams? A list for Deputy SPs was released in which only 11 candidates were from the open merit category. That is why we are here to demand justice."

Mufti also alleged, "They do not want Kashmiris in the Jammu and Kashmir bureaucracy, and we are strongly opposed to this. This state belongs to us; this is our region. You cannot evict us from our own state."

Continuing her criticism of the government's reservation and recruitment policies, Mufti said, "During the Omar government's tenure, the age limit was reduced from 38 to 32, and a cap was placed on the number of attempts allowed. Today, the youth here can take any competitive exam only six times. We are here to fight against this. We do not want to see merit undermined."

"Across the country, merit is the rule and reservation is the exception; only in Jammu and Kashmir is merit the exception and reservation the rule. We are not against any community. Our point is that you promised these people you would ensure justice regarding open merit, so you must deliver that justice," she said.

The protest comes amid an ongoing debate over the quota structure for government recruitment and admissions to professional courses in Jammu and Kashmir. Following protests and representations by open-merit candidates, the Omar Abdullah government constituted a cabinet sub-committee in December 2024 to examine the matter.

The committee was headed by Health and Education Minister Sakina Ittoo and included Ministers Javed Ahmed Rana and Satish Sharma. It subsequently submitted its recommendations to the Council of Ministers.

The government maintains that the recommendations underwent the prescribed approval process, although the full details of the report have not been placed in the public domain.

The debate over reservation has primarily focused on the share allocated to open-merit candidates and the existing EWS quota. Reports regarding the committee's recommendations indicate a proposal to reduce EWS reservation from 10 per cent to 3 per cent and RBA reservation from 10 per cent to 7 per cent, with a total of 10 per cent being added to the open-merit category. However, the precise recommendations have not been officially made public in their entirety.

The issue has remained politically contentious, with open-merit groups repeatedly demanding the publication of the committee's report and a review of the reservation structure. Iltija Mufti questioned why the report has not been released and expressed concern over employment and recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir.

The PDP and BJP have raised the reservation issue just a day before the Assembly's autumn session begins on Monday. With opposition parties preparing to raise the matter, the reservation debate is expected to feature prominently during the upcoming session.

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