J-K students ask Govt to clarify its position on reservation policy, put recruitments on hold

NEW DELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association on Wednesday condemned the J-K government for its lack of clarity and transparency regarding the controversial reservation policy. Chief minister Omar Abdullah assured a delegation of students that a cabinet sub-committee will submit a review report in 6 months. The JKSA has termed this “assurance insufficient and lacking immediate impact”.

A five-member delegation of students met CM Omar Abdullah on Monday for "rationalisation" of reservations in Jammu and Kashmir which has reduced the opportunities for the open category. During the meeting, the chief minister assured that the review report will be submitted within six months.

Two days have passed since the meeting, however, there has been no minutes of the meeting nor any official statement from the government regarding the promises made during the discussion.

“This absence of communication reflects the government’s lack of clarity and seriousness on such a critical issue.We have discussed the issue with various groups of students and stakeholders. They have expressed complete dissatisfaction with the government, saying they are not serious about addressing their concerns," national convenor of the JK Students Association, Nasir Khuehami said.

"Students deserve transparency. The government must officially clarify its position and ensure accountability for the promises made during the meeting," the official statement read.

'Sub-committee should be streamlined'

The national convenor emphasized: "There will be no talks or deliberations with the government until the sub-committee is streamlined. We want the committee to be streamlined, inclusive, similar to Parliament's Joint Parliamentary Committees (JPC), which include members from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as well as representatives from the government and the opposition.”

Further, it suggested that the sub-committee should represent all students, aspirants, retired judges and independent voices, “to instill confidence in its ability to deliver fair and just recommendations”.

“The current sub-committee’s composition is deeply flawed, as two of its members belong to the reserved category. How can open merit students expect justice from a committee that is inherently biased towards one side?" the students group questioned.

The association reiterated its demand for putting all ongoing recruitments on hold until the review is completed. Dissatisfied with the prolonged wait for a resolution, the students insisted the review process be expedited and concluded within 3 months.

Also read Jammu & Kashmir: New reservation policy leaves 69% youth in fray for 36% college seats, job posts

Omar Abdullah’s promises

“The J-K Student Association said that the chief minister had promised mass recruitment soon after government formation. Does this mean that students will have to wait for six months now while all these mass recruitments are carried out under the current reservation policy? This would be a gross injustice,” the official statement read.

“The government must ensure that no recruitments take place under the existing reservation policy until the review is completed, and a fair, transparent system is put in place. Any further delay could lead to greater resentment and a loss of trust among the student community,” it added.

They further expressed concerns over the lack of any guarantee that the committee’s report will ultimately favor students or bring meaningful reforms.

“The government has not assured whether the report will address the grievances of students or simply maintain the status quo. This uncertainty only adds to the frustration and mistrust among the affected communities,” it said.