Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Bill and J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill

Source: The post is based on the article “114 seats, migrant quota cleared for J&K Assembly” published in “The Hindu” on 7th December 2023

Why in the News?

Lok Sabha has passed Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

What is Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill,2023?

Aim: To amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.

Note: The J&K Reservation Act, 2004 provided reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other socially and educationally backward classes.

Key Provisions of the Bill:

The Bill seeks to replace the term “weak and underprivileged classes (social castes)“ in the J&K Reservation Act, 2004 to “other backward classes” as declared by the Union Territory.

What is Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill,2023?

Aim: To amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. 

Note: The J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 provides for the reorganization of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).

Key Provisions of the Bill:

1) Increases the total number of seats in the J&K Assembly from 107 to 114. This is based on the report of the Delimitation Commission.

2) Seeks to provide reservation of 9 seats for Scheduled Tribes for the first time.

3) Empowers the Lieutenant-Governor to nominate 3 members in the Assembly:

– Two members from the Kashmiri migrant community including one woman and

– Third member should be a representative of people from PoK who took refuge in India following the wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971.

UPSC Syllabus: Bills in News