JnK: 192 open merit Medical Officer posts out of 480 sparks fresh debate
Medical Officer Recruitment
Srinagar: The J&K Health and Medical Education Department’s recent allocation of Medical Officer (MO) posts has come under intense scrutiny after only 192 out of a total 480 posts were earmarked for Open Merit (OM) candidates.
The department has referred the 480 MO posts to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) for direct recruitment. The reservation breakup includes 38 posts for Scheduled Castes (SC), 48 each for Scheduled Tribe-1 (ST-1) and Scheduled Tribe-2 (ST-2), 48 posts for Residents of Backward Areas (RBA), 39 for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 48 for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), and 19 posts for aspirants from the ALC/IB category.
The limited number of posts for Open Merit aspirants has reignited debate over the Union Territory’s reservation policy.
“70% of J&K’s population will compete for 192 out of 480 Medical Officer posts. Tell me, when you fall sick, will you ask the doctor’s category or their competence? This is not social justice. This is the systematic killing of merit and a direct threat to healthcare quality,” said Sahil Parray, a representative of a group advocating for Open Merit aspirants, reports TNIE.
Parray stated on X that the reservation was meant to uplift, not overpower, and questioned creating a new injustice while correcting the imbalance, urging to restore balance and merit, and reclaim their fair share. PDP MLA Waheed Para mentioned on X that with equality and the new syllabus, 60% of people get only 40% of opportunities.
Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, Jammu and Kashmir vice-president of the All India Medical Students Association, stated on X that 70% of J&K’s population is forced to compete for just 192 out of 480 Medical Officer posts, calling it discrimination and saying the threshold is burning now.
As per TNIE, reservations have emerged as a major flashpoint in Jammu and Kashmir following the central government’s decision to expand reserved categories and enhance quotas in the Union Territory over the past five years. The reservation policy introduced by the Lt Governor administration ahead of last year’s Assembly polls raised the reserved-category quota to over 60%, significantly reducing the Open Merit share.
At present, the quotas stand at 8% for SCs, 20% for STs, 10% for EWS, 10% for RBA, 8% for OBC, and 4% for ALC/IB, along with a 10% horizontal reservation that includes 6% for ex-servicemen and 4% for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Earlier this month, the J&K Cabinet approved a report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) on reservations, proposing a 10% increase in the Open Merit quota by reducing the EWS quota by 7% and the RBA quota by 3%. The proposal has been forwarded to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha for approval, but it has yet to be cleared.
