Sajad Lone Seeks Scientific Audit Of Reservation Policy’s Impact, Files RTI

Srinagar: Peoples Conference President Sajad Lone has called for a comprehensive scientific and statistical analysis of the reservation policy, claiming it disproportionately harms the Kashmiri-speaking ethnic group. He has submitted a Right to Information (RTI) application to gather data necessary for this analysis, aiming to establish a statistically sound basis for evaluating the impact of reservations.
Lone the J&K Peoples Conference Chairman outlined his proposed methodology, which involves collecting data from the last ten recruitment examinations to compare merit lists generated without reservations against those that include them. This comparison is intended to quantify the damage inflicted on the Kashmiri-speaking community. He emphasized that the selection data from these examinations would serve as a sample for broader analysis, potentially leading to a more significant understanding of the issue. He described his approach as evidence-based and rational, advocating for decisions to be made on scientific grounds rather than political considerations. Lone expressed concern that electoral motivations should not compromise the future of the youth, urging a separation of political interests from the aspirations of young individuals. The context of this discussion includes a new reservation policy introduced by the Lieutenant Governor, which increased reservations for certain categories to 60%, prompting calls for its reversal from Open Merit candidates. A cabinet sub-committee has been formed to review the policy, and its findings are currently under examination by the J&K law department.