SRINAGAR, JUNE 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet is expected to deliberate this evening on the long-awaited report of the Cabinet Subcommittee on Reservation Policy (2024), amid mounting pressure from Open Merit candidates demanding a fairer share in government jobs and scholarships.
While the official agenda for today’s cabinet meeting—scheduled for 6 PM at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar—has not been released, credible sources suggest that the reservation issue will be front and centre. The Open Merit category, which claims to represent nearly 70% of the population, has been voicing strong resentment, alleging that they receive less than 30% of benefits in government employment and academic aid.
The Cabinet Subcommittee, comprising Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, and Satish Sharma, submitted its final report on June 10 after six months of public consultations. The panel is expected to brief the Cabinet on its recommendations today. The meeting will be chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose administration is under growing scrutiny over how it handles the reservation imbalances.
Political observers see this as the culmination of a process that began during the PDP-Congress coalition era in 2004 and underwent sweeping changes under the BJP-led Centre’s non-political administration in March 2024. The current policy has drawn sharp criticism from multiple quarters, with calls for rationalisation and merit-based representation growing louder.
Sources indicate the cabinet will not only review the CSC report but may also take a policy call on whether to implement its recommendations and how to proceed legally. Apart from the reservation issue, the cabinet is also likely to discuss preparations for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra and tourism promotion—both areas of renewed focus following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. (KDC)