Mehbooba Mufti seeks reinstatement of statutory order to protect future of youth

SRINAGAR: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday said the Jammu and Kashmir government should reinstate a statutory order on reservation for admission to postgraduate courses through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

“It’s imperative that the UT government reinstates SRO 49 (2018) of the J&K Reservation Act to ensure that super-specialty medical courses remain accessible and the interests of J&K’s youth are safeguarded,” the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief said in a post on X.

Mufti was referring to an order passed in January 2018, when she was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to SRO 49 (2108), 75 per cent of seats in postgraduate medical courses were to be filled on open merit basis, while 25 per cent of seats were reserved for various categories of underprivileged sections.

The postgraduate aspirants are alleging that the new reservation policy adopted by the lieutenant governor’s administration has brought down the open merit quota to around 30 per cent, while 70 per cent seats have been reserved, which is grossly disproportionate to the population ratio in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Having survived years of violence and protests, J&K’s youth, who comprise 65 per cent of the population, now face a new challenYBge in fighting for merit and justice in the admission processes. The recent NEET PG results crisis exacerbated the uncertainty, leaving their futures in limbo,” Mufti said. (PTI)