70% quota in jobs: Why Omar Abdullah warned of ‘Gen-Z trend spilling over’ to J&K

On August 14, Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cautioned that if his Cabinet's proposal to adjust the reservation system in the Union Territory was not implemented, it could trigger protests reminiscent of the Gen Z movement. The Cabinet had previously submitted its proposal on the reservation policy to the Lieutenant Governor in November of the previous year.

Omar expressed concern over the lack of approval for the proposal, stating that he and his government would not be accountable if the "Gen-Z trend spills over" to J&K. The issue of rationalizing the reservation system has become a contentious matter in the UT. Under J&K's special status, 43% of government job positions were reserved for various categories, including Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), residents of areas along the Actual Line of Control (ALC) and the International Border (IB), those from backward areas, the physically challenged, and former service personnel.

However, in 2024, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha amended the J&K Reservation Act 2004, just a month before the 2024 parliamentary elections, increasing the reservation from 43% to 70%. This change was due to the Special Tribe (ST) status being granted to the Pahari community, which had previously been opposed by the Gujjars and Bakerwas who held the ST status.

The administration's decision to increase the ST quota from 10% to 20% led to criticism from those not covered under any reservation, as it left only 30% of jobs available for competition. Both the main political parties in the UT, Omar Abdullah's National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had pledged in their 2024 election manifesto to revisit the reservation issue.

The BJP, on the other hand, had promised additional reservation in government jobs for Agniveers and reservation in promotions for employees from various reserved groups. The Omar government faces pressure from both within and outside the public sphere. In February, the government presented data in the Assembly that revealed a higher number of reserved category certificates being issued to people in Jammu compared to Kashmir.

In October 2025, an MP from Omar's own party, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, protested alongside individuals from unreserved categories outside the Chief Minister's residence. The government subsequently established a cabinet sub-committee, which submitted its report in October 2025, recommending the cap of reservations at 50%. The Cabinet accepted the recommendation and forwarded the file to the Lieutenant Governor's residence for clearance.

Omar later revealed that the Lok Bhawan had raised queries regarding the report, to which his government responded, but there has been no further action.