Students, Opposition demand revamp of quota policy as 337 of 575 lecturer posts reserved

While the National Conference government has referred 575 posts of lecturers for recruitment under the prevailing reservation policy, it has caused an uproar among students and opposition leaders, who are seeking a revamp of the policy.

The UT administration under Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had granted 10 per cent reservation to the Pahari community earlier this year, taking the reserved seats for different categories to 60 per cent, leaving only 40 per cent seats for the general category candidates in government jobs. According to the 2011 census, around 69 per cent of J&K’s population belongs to the general category.

Ahead of the Assembly polls, even the National Conference in its poll manifesto had promised that the “reservation policy will be reviewed and any injustice and imbalance will be corrected.”

However, the NC-led government has now referred 575 posts of lecturers in the School Education Department for recruitment to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission. Out of these, only 238 have been kept for general category, while the remaining 337 seats have been reserved for different categories.

Meanwhile, PDP leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed Para has called the development “shocking”.

“Another day, another shocker! Out of 575 lecturer posts referred to JKPSC for recruitment, only 238 are for open merit students, while 337 are reserved,” he wrote on X, adding that “this injustice needs to stop!”

Parra said he “fails to understand why the NC-led govt is continuing with BJP introduced reservation policy?”

“Requesting Omar Abdullah to revamp the reservation policy strictly as per population numbers,” Para said.

Langate MLA Sheikh Khursheed said advertising 575 lecturer posts is good, “but just 238 posts for 70% open merit aspirants seems a joke”.

“Even in few subjects, some categories have been given more while others less than the reserved quota. NC must fulfil their pre-poll promise before selection to even a single post,” Khursheed, brother of jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid said.

J&K Students Association said they will meet senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “to raise the need for reforms in the reservation policy, advocating for a transparent review to ensure fairness, meritocracy, and proportional representation.”

The move has also angered the aspirants as well. Sahil Parray, one of the aspirants termed it as an “injustice to students”.

“Future generations will curse our silence. It’s time to stand up and fight this systemic oppression. I pledge to fight till my last breath,” he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Srinagar MP and NC leader Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said he had talked to the Chief Minister about it and has been assured that the government will take a decision to rationalise the reservation policy soon. "…I would request all of you to wait till I attend the Parliament session which starts from 25th Nov and concludes on 22nd Dec. If the decision is not taken till then, I will sit with all of you outside the residence or the office of the Chief Minister," he wrote on X.