Cabinet Approves Reply to Union Government Observations
The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet has approved its response to queries raised by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding the government’s proposed changes to the reservation policy. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Officials said the meeting deliberated on a range of policy matters and proposals aimed at strengthening governance, accelerating development and improving public service delivery across Jammu and Kashmir. Among the issues discussed was the government’s response to observations raised by the Union Government on the reservation proposal.
Draft Reply Forwarded to Centre
The Cabinet approved the draft reply prepared by the J&K government, which will now be forwarded to the Centre for further consideration. Sahil Parray, a representative of the Open Merit Students Association, said he spoke with Chief Minister Abdullah regarding the matter.
“He informed me that the Cabinet has approved the response to the observations raised by the Union Government and the same will now be forwarded for further consideration,” Parray wrote on X. He added that the J&K government is now awaiting the Centre’s concurrence on the original proposal. “Let’s hope that we will hear good news soon. Fingers crossed,” Parray said.
Background of Reservation Controversy
In 2024, the Union Territory administration under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved a 10 per cent reservation for the Pahari community, increasing the overall reservation quota across categories. The move triggered widespread protests from general-category students, who argued that the revised policy further reduced their opportunities in government recruitment.
After assuming office in October 2024, the Omar Abdullah-led government faced mounting pressure to address the issue. It subsequently constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee, which submitted its report within six months. Following consultations and legal examination by the Law Department, Chief Minister Abdullah announced that the Cabinet had accepted the report and would forward it to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for further action.
MHA Referral and Next Steps
The Lieutenant Governor subsequently referred the matter to the MHA, which sought clarifications that have now been addressed by the J&K government. The approved response is expected to pave the way for a final decision on the reservation policy changes.
