Iltija Mufti Leads PDP Protest In Srinagar Over J&K Reservation Policy

Srinagar : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iltija Mufti on Saturday led a protest in Srinagar against the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, with demonstrators raising concerns over the shrinking share of opportunities for Open Merit aspirants.

Iltija Mufti demanded greater transparency in the ongoing review of the existing reservation framework and urged the government to make the findings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted to examine and rationalise the reservation policy public without further delay.

She said students and job aspirants have a legitimate right to know what recommendations have been made on an issue that directly affects their educational and employment opportunities.

Jammu and Kashmir’s revised reservation policy has become a major contentious issue after the LG administration amended the 2002 quota rules in 2024, granting 10 per cent reservation to Paharis under the Scheduled Tribe category and adding over 15 castes to the Scheduled Caste list. The move sparked protests, including a December 20, 2024 demonstration outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar.

The government later formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee to rationalise the policy.