Calls for Reservation Reform Echo in Jammu and Kashmir

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assured protesting students that a report on Jammu and Kashmir's reservation policy would be submitted in six months. Students, supported by political leaders, argue current policies unfairly limit open merit opportunities. The debate highlights tensions between reservation and merit-based systems.

In a significant development, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday pledged to a group of protesting students that a cabinet sub-committee's report on the region's contentious reservation policy would be ready within six months.

The ongoing protests, which gained a prominent political ally in National Conference leader Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, center around the call for the 'rationalisation' of the reservation system post-Article 370 abrogation. Currently, the open merit category is restricted to 30 percent after reservations were extended to Pahari-speaking people, sparking dissent among students who demand a merit-focused system.

The protest has drawn wide political support, with figures such as PDP's Waheed Para and Awami Ittehad Party MLA Sheikh Khursheed advocating for a fairer allocation system. The demonstrations underscore a passionate plea for balanced affirmative action where merit, they argue, should not be compromised.

(With inputs from agencies.)