Union Home Minister Amit Shah is preparing to present two key bills in the Lok Sabha today, amending the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act of 2004 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019. The bills seek to revise reservation criteria and increase the number of legislative assembly seats in the region.
The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aims to revise reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other marginalized groups in jobs and educational institutions. Notable features include the inclusion of backward classes living in designated villages and areas near the Line of Control, as well as the creation of a commission to recommend inclusions and exclusions from underprivileged categories.
Simultaneously, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, proposes to modify the 2019 Act, increasing the total number of assembly seats from 83 to 90. The amendment reserves seven seats for Scheduled Castes, nine for Scheduled Tribes, and permits the Lieutenant Governor to nominate members from the Kashmiri migrant community and displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
These bills represent a monumental shift in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, catering to marginalized communities and displaced groups, thus shaping a more inclusive and representative legislative framework in the region.