During a recent session in the Assembly, Sajad Lone, the MLA from Handwara, raised a crucial inquiry regarding how poverty is assessed in Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized the need for a standardized definition of poverty, questioning, “What constitutes a poor individual?”

Lone pointed out that according to the existing criteria, a staggering 92% of certificates issued for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) are attributed to the Jammu region, with only 8% coming from the Kashmir region. He remarked that this suggests that 92% of the impoverished population in Jammu and Kashmir is located in Jammu, while a mere 8% is in Kashmir.

His comments highlight an ongoing debate in Jammu and Kashmir that has surged since the Omar Abdullah government took office in October 2024, particularly regarding the rationalization of reservations in education and employment. This discussion gained momentum following amendments to the J&K Reservation Rules in March 2024, which expanded the reservation for various categories, including increasing the Scheduled Tribe (ST) quota from 10% to 20% to incorporate additional communities. Consequently, the total reservation share in government positions rose from 43% to nearly 70%, leaving 30% available for open-merit candidates.

This significant change sparked protests from students advocating for open-merit admissions, who argued that the quota system required reevaluation. In response, the Omar Abdullah government established a Cabinet sub-committee tasked with reviewing the policy. The sub-committee recommended reinstating a 50:50 division between reserved and open-merit categories by reducing allocations for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), while maintaining the quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister, stated that the report from the Cabinet sub-committee has been submitted to the Lok Bhawan, although a response has yet to be received.

In response to Lone’s inquiry in the Assembly, the government revealed that it has filled 7,580 job vacancies over the past two years. With the EWS reservation set at 10%, this translates to 758 positions reserved for EWS candidates. According to the government’s EWS criteria, Lone noted that 697 of these roles would go to applicants from Jammu, while only 61 would be allocated to those from Kashmir.

As the debate continues, Lone is questioning whether the EWS criteria genuinely reflect poverty distribution in the region. During the autumn session of the J&K Assembly, which concluded on September 30, he accused the government of “discrimination against the Kashmir Division in the issuance of EWS certificates.”

Additionally, Lone highlighted the use of Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration cards as alternative measures for identifying economically disadvantaged households. The Kashmir region boasts 37.71 lakh PHH/AAY ration cards, compared to 29.81 lakh in Jammu. If this metric were applied to allocate EWS jobs, Lone indicated that 417 positions would be designated for Kashmir and 341 for Jammu.

Lone argued that these two assessments present starkly contrasting views of poverty in Jammu and Kashmir. “Based on this definition, 55% of impoverished individuals reside in Kashmir, while 45% are in Jammu. Conversely, the EWS criteria suggest that 92% of the poor live in the Jammu region and only 8% in Kashmir,” he remarked, questioning how the government could invest substantial funds in subsidies for the poor while simultaneously denying their poverty when they seek employment.

Lone warned that this disparity would also manifest in the 49,672 job vacancies that remain unfilled. “With the EWS reservation set at 10%, this equates to 4,967 positions reserved for EWS,” he explained. He further noted the regional imbalance in government job distribution, stating that out of the 4,967 EWS jobs, approximately 4,569 would be allocated to Jammu, while only around 398 would go to Kashmir. By the PHH/AAY ration card criteria, 2,235 jobs would be filled from Jammu, and 2,732 from Kashmir.

Naveed Iqbal, a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, covers news in Jammu and Kashmir. With over 15 years of experience in journalism, Iqbal provides insightful reporting on the region’s shifts, governance, and the socio-political ramifications of national policies.

Her extensive expertise encompasses regional challenges, particularly those affecting Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of Article 370’s abrogation, statehood discussions, and local electoral dynamics.

Key areas of coverage include:

• Politics & Governance: Monitoring the interactions between the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP, along with thorough reporting on J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha elections post-reorganization.
• Internal Security & Justice: Delivering detailed reports on counter-insurgency efforts, investigations into terror networks, and legal developments concerning political detainees and constitutional rights.
• Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic challenges such as reservation disputes in J&K, reforms in public service commissions, and issues faced by minority groups.