Panel to look into SC, ST issues also
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Mar 19: In a significant development, the J&K Government today constituted first of its kind ‘Jammu and Kashmir Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission’ to look into the issues of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Union Territory of J&K.
Justice (retried) G D Sharma has been appointed as Chairperson of the Commission while Rup Lal Bharti (Retd IFS) and Munir Ahmed Khan (IPS) are its members.
An order in this regard was issued today by the J&K’s Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, according which, the Commission shall determine the criteria to be adopted in considering any section of the people in the Union Territory of J&K as Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
Using this criteria, the Commission shall examine the current list of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes notified by the Government from time to time for inclusion and exclusion of such classes in the list of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
The Commission shall also examine the inclusion of other Socially and Educationally Backward Classes in the list by using the criteria. It shall categorize the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and examine the safeguards that should be provided to ensure balance and orderly development of all sections and classes of the Union Territory of J&K.
The Commission shall examine the overall question of providing reservation for recruitment to various posts under the Government and or selections to various posts consistent with the need of ensuring the efficiency in administration and minimum standards for job requirements.
On the basis of its findings, the Commission shall present a report to the J&K Government making recommendations as it thinks proper for categorization of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes, as aforesaid and providing reservation for them and other communities.
Significantly, the Commission will also have additional terms of reference for SCS/STS to examine the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order, 1956 and the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989 for presenting a report to the Government of J&K.
The said report would be examined and sent to the Government of India for suitable inclusion or exclusion or modification of the castes and tribes in the aforesaid orders for their application to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Even as the Commission shall make its final recommendations within a period of two years, it shall, however, submit its first interim report (s) within a period of three months from the date of its constitution or by June 30, 2020, whichever is earlier.
The Commission shall be serviced by the Social Welfare Department.
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