New Delhi: In a significant move, the Lok Sabha successfully passed two key bills on December 6, 2023, shaping the future of Jammu and Kashmir. The first, titled the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, modifies the 2004 Reservation Act, ensuring equitable job opportunities and educational access for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes.
Simultaneously, the second bill, known as the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, amends the 2019 Reorganisation Act. The 2019 Act had initially defined the seat distribution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly at 83. The recent amendment proposes an increase to 90 seats, including specific reservations – seven for Scheduled Castes, nine for Scheduled Tribes, and a provision allowing the Lieutenant Governor to nominate up to two members from the Kashmiri migrant community, one of whom must be a woman.
These nominated members are individuals who migrated from the Kashmir Valley or other parts of Jammu and Kashmir post-November 1, 1989, and are registered with the Relief Commissioner. This legislative development marks a crucial step in ensuring inclusive representation and addressing the unique circumstances of the region.
