Rajya Sabha Considers Bills Offering Reservation and Amending SC, ST Lists in Jammu and Kashmir

The Rajya Sabha convened on Friday to deliberate and potentially pass three bills concerning Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on the provision of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies and amendments to the lists of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Union territory.

The bills under discussion include the Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024; the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024; and the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, all of which were previously approved by the Lok Sabha earlier in the week.

The Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, presented by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, aims to introduce reservations for OBCs in local bodies within the Union territory, addressing the absence of such provisions in panchayats and municipalities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Additionally, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which proposes including the Valmiki community as a synonym of Chura, Balmiki, Bhangi, and Mehtar communities in the list of Scheduled Castes in Jammu and Kashmir.

Furthermore, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, brought forward by Union Minister of Tribal Affairs & Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, aims to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order of 1989 to establish separate lists for Scheduled Tribes for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This bill also seeks to incorporate four communities—Gadda Brahmin, Koli, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group—into the list of Scheduled Tribes in Jammu and Kashmir.