The Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) administration has approved 10% reservation for newly-included tribes, including Paharis, in the Schedule Tribe (ST) and added 15 new castes in the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
J&K LG Manoj Sinha approved the proposal of the Social Welfare Department to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005.
“In light of addition of four new tribes i.e. Pahari Ethnic Group, Paddari Tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins, to the Scheduled Tribes Order as applicable to the J&K by the Parliament, the Administrative Council approved 10% reservation in favour of newly added tribes taking the overall reservation for STs to 20%,” a spokesman of the Raj Bhawan said.
In order to ensure that both already notified and now newly added tribes get benefits of reservation equally and separately, the Administrative Council, headed by Mr. Sinha, approved an equal and separate percentage of reservation for them, which is 10% each.
“The Council also approved the addition of 15 new castes in OBCs and enhancement of reservation in favour of OBCs to 8%, which will meet the long pending demand of the OBC category in the UT. It also approved change in nomenclature and synonymy of some castes as recommended by the SEBC Commission,” the spokesman said.
Earlier, J&K had 8% reservation for SC, 10% for STs, 4% for OBCs, 4% for residents along Line of Actual Control/International Border, 10% for Residents of Backward Area (RBA) and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs).
Gujjars in J&K have been opposing the move to grant reservation to Paharis, a linguistic group, and claiming it “included well-off upper class”.
