J&K reservation policy draws criticism as open merit gets 192 of 480 medical officer posts
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmirs existing reservation policy has once again come under scrutiny after the Health and Medical Education Department earmarked only 192 out of a total 480 Medical Officer posts for Open Merit (OM) aspirants. The Health and Medical Education Department has referred 480 Medical Officer posts of the Health and Family Welfare Department to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission for direct recruitment. Of the 480 posts, only 192 have been kept for Open Merit candidates. As per the breakup, 38 posts have been reserved for Scheduled Castes, 48 each for Scheduled Tribes under Scheduled Tribe-1 and Scheduled Tribe-2, 48 posts for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA), 39 posts for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 48 posts for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and 19 posts for aspirants from the ALC/IB category. The allocation of just 192 posts for Open Merit aspirants has once again brought the existing reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir into focus. 70% of J&Ks population will compete for 192 out of 480 Medical Officer posts. Tell me, when you fall sick, will you ask the doctors category or their competence? This is not social justice. This is the systematic killing of merit and a direct threat to healthcare quality, said Sahil Parray, a representative of a group advocating for Open Merit aspirants. Reservation was meant to uplift, not to overpower. Correct imbalance? Yes. Create a new injustice? No. Enough is enough. Restore balance. Restore merit. We want our fair share back, Parray said in a post on X. PDP MLA Waheed Para, in a post on X , said, Equality, new syllabus: 60% people, 40% opportunities. Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Jammu and Kashmir vice-president of the All India Medical Students Association, said in a post on X, 70% of J&Ks population forced to compete for just 192 out of 480 Medical Officer posts. This is not balance; this is discrimination. The threshold is burning now. Reservations have emerged as a major flashpoint in Jammu and Kashmir following the central governments decision to expand reserved categories and enhance quotas in the Union Territory over the past five years. The reservation policy introduced by the Lt Governor administration ahead of last years Assembly polls raised the reserved-category quota to over 60%, significantly reducing the Open Merit share. At present, Scheduled Castes have an 8% quota, Scheduled Tribes 20%, EWS 10%, RBA 10%, OBC 8%, and ALC/IB 4%. In addition, there is a 10% horizontal reservation, including 6% for ex-servicemen and 4% for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Earlier this month, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet approved the report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) on reservation and forwarded the file to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha for approval. According to sources, the CSC report has proposed a 10% increase in the Open Merit quota by reducing the EWS quota by 7% and the RBA quota by 3%. However, Lt Governor Sinha is yet to clear the proposal for an increase in the Open Merit quota. All political parties, barring the BJP, have expressed concern over the existing reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir and have demanded a more balanced approach.
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