Jammu and Kashmir’s youth are suffering from a deeply flawed reservation system that leaves Open Merit (OM) candidates with virtually no opportunities. Adding to their woes, the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) government remains silent, refusing even to acknowledge this injustice.
Across Jammu & Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), and entrance exams like National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), under Jammu & Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examination (JKBOPEE) control, the pattern repeats. The merit is being crushed, and opportunity is unfairly distributed.
For instance, in the 2024 JKPSC recruitment list, 42 out of 71 candidates selected were from reserved categories, while the OM candidates, who make up over 70% of the population, were left fighting for the remaining few seats. This pattern has become normal. In NEET-based MBBS admissions, students from reserved categories with very low scores managed to secure seats but promising candidates in the OM were left out.
Under JKBOPEE, more than 60% of medical seats are reserved under categories like SC, ST, EWS, RBA, ALC/IB, PSP, Pahari, and the newly introduced ST1 and ST2 categories. Many of these groups are regionally concentrated, primarily from the Jammu division. They end up receiving a disproportionate share of seats, while Kashmiris, despite forming a larger share of the total population, continue to suffer.
Reserved categories, mostly from Jammu, dominate the merit lists through both vertical and horizontal reservations, squeezing OM candidates from Kashmir out of the system entirely.
To make matters worse, policies like Rule-17 allow reserved candidates who qualify in the OM category to shift back to their reserved seats. But instead of returning the vacated OM seat to the general category, it is bizarrely handed back to the reserved pool, squeezing the space more for deserving merit-based students even more.
This kind of rule is not just unfair. It is designed to protect the interests of a select few and politically favoured communities, while leaving Kashmiri youth hopeless and frustrated.
The most painful betrayal came from the very leaders who promised reform. About a year ago, Omar Abdullah's government assured agitating students that a special committee would be formed to review and rectify the reservation policy. They said, “We need six months. Please be patient.”
Students believed them. They stopped protesting. They waited and they are still waiting. It turned out to be a false hope. It’s been almost a year, and not a single update has come from the committee. There’s no public statement, no draft, much less a policy change.
While the NC is silent, a few opposition voices have raised concerns. Waheed ur Rehman Para questioned JKPSC's reservation percentages and called for reform. Sajad Lone has suggested division-wise and district-wise quotas for fairer regional representation.
The core issue isn't the reservation itself. It is to ensure that the system is just and doesn't unfairly exclude capable candidates based solely on category.
Few dare speak openly about this issue, fearing labels of being branded ‘communal’ or ‘parochial’. But this issue is not against any community or group; it is about fairness. The reality is that 70% of the population competes for 30% of opportunities, while 30% enjoys 70% of reserved seats, especially those from Jammu and SC/ST categories. This goes against the nation-wide cap of 50% on reservation quotas and thus defies the principles of democracy and justice.
J&K's reservation policy is clearly a case of political manipulation and vote banking. The underprivileged certainly need to be supported, but help should not come by snatching opportunities from others.
If the government cannot make this system fair, it should at least stop pretending to care.
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