Srinagar, June 10, KNT: The Education Minister Sakina Masood Itoo, Tuesday said that the Cabinet-appointed Sub‑Committee examining the reservation policy in Jammu & Kashmir has submitted its report within the six-month deadline. “The Cabinet Sub‑Committee constituted to examine the issue of reservations has drafted its report within the stipulated timeframe of six months. The report will be placed before the Cabinet when it meets,” she posted today on X
The Sub‑Committee was officially formed in December 2024, following widespread anxiety among students and aspirants after the Centre granted Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari community, raising total reservation in the Jammu and Kashmir to over 60%, and sparking protests highlighting the limited 30–40% seats left for open‑merit candidates
PDP MLA Waheed Parra, representing Pulwama, responded sharply to Sakina Itoo’s announcement. “Students are demanding answers, not delays. Why hold back the Cabinet Committee report on merit? After your government’s adverse stand on merit in court, intentions, not actions are under question,” he wrote. Parra emphasised that after six years under an unelected administration, Kashmiris deserve transparency, and urged the release of the full report
Notably, the Open Merit Students’ Association (OMSA) had met local MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on June 5, stressing that June 10 marked the deadline for the Sub‑Committee’s report. They warned that pooled grievance among open‑merit aspirants was reaching a boiling point.
The reservation policy, which includes the newly recognised Pahari community, has been legally challenged across at least three petitions in the High Court. One petition labels the policy an “abuse of judicial process” and seeks its dismissal, indicating the intensity of the legal and public scrutiny.
As the Cabinet prepares to review the report, mounting political pressure and legal backlog shine a spotlight on Jammu & Kashmir’s reservation framework. [KNT]
