Sakshi Sawhney
Jammu, 2 Dec: With the reservation issue becoming a major topic of public debate, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called a Cabinet meeting on December 3 at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu. According to official sources, the Government may increase the Open Merit quota in jobs and educational institutions from the current 30% to 40%.
This will be the first formal Cabinet meeting after the Secretariat moved to Jammu, a practice the Omar Abdullah Government has restarted after four years.
Because the Cabinet has not met for more than six weeks, many Departments have sent in their agenda items. However, sources say that the reservation issue will be the main point of discussion.
To increase the Open Merit quota, the Government will need to amend the Reservation Rules. This would require reducing the percentage of some categories, especially the Resident of Backward Areas (RBA) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), officials said. The EWS quota is currently at the maximum limit of 10% set by guidelines, meaning it can be reduced if the Government gives valid reasons. The RBA quota, once 20%, was earlier reduced to 10% after allegations that influential people misused the category to benefit their families.
Officials explained that about 10% reservation must be cut from different categories to raise the Open Merit quota to 40%. However, quotas for groups like SCs, STs, and OBCs cannot be changed because they are protected by Parliament.
Any decisions taken by the Cabinet will still require approval from the Lieutenant Governor.
Currently, total reservation in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 70%. This includes 20% for Scheduled Tribes (10% each for Gujjars/Bakerwals and Pahari Ethnic Tribes), 10% each for RBA and EWS, 8% each for OBCs and Scheduled Castes, and 4% for people living near the Line of Actual Control or International Border. There is also 10% horizontal reservation for Ex-Servicemen and Persons with Disabilities.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) on Reservation was formed on December 10, 2024, after protests from general category youth. It submitted its report on June 10, 2025, which was then reviewed by the Law Department. The CSC includes Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, and Satish Sharma.
The upcoming Cabinet meeting is expected to take an important decision on the future of reservation policy in the Union Territory.
