Tabish Mir, hailing from Shopian in South Kashmir, is currently residing in a hostel in Srinagar’s Rajbagh area. He dedicates around 16 hours a day to studying at a private library in preparation for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG), a highly competitive examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses.
In his previous attempt at NEET, Mir scored 552, falling short of the cutoff required for general-category candidates in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) medical colleges, which was over 600 last year. Despite an additional year of preparation, his prospects have worsened due to the union territory’s new reservation policy.
J&K’s new reservation policy, introduced on March 15, includes a 10% reservation for newly recognized tribes, such as Paharis, in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, and an increase in reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 8%. These increases have not been accompanied by an expansion in the number of seats, thereby reducing the share of open seats available to general-category candidates.
Previously, out of 972 MBBS seats reserved for J&K residents, 445 were unreserved general-category seats. However, with the new policy, the open-merit segment has shrunk to around 36%.
Mir, along with over 30,000 other open-merit aspirants, faces intensified competition for the reduced number of available seats. The sudden reduction in the quota for general-category aspirants has come as a shock to him, making admission to a J&K government medical college significantly more challenging.
The administration defends the policy, stating that it won’t affect the existing reservation levels for previously listed ST communities, such as Gujjars and Bakarwals. However, this decision has stirred confusion and discontent among those newly included in the ST category, like Baidaar Ahmed Gangayal, who feels that allocating 20% reservation to their community, despite its small population, is unreasonable.
Several groups, including the J&K Students’ Association (JKSA), have voiced their opposition to the policy, deeming it arbitrary and unjust. They plan to engage in discussions with the administration and, if necessary, take legal action to address their concerns.
The implementation of the new policy has sparked dissatisfaction among aspirants, with many feeling exploited and worried about the impact on merit-based admissions and future employment prospects in the region.
Junaid Azim Mutto, the former mayor of Srinagar city, has condemned the policy, labeling it as a significant injustice and a threat to meritocracy in J&K.
