Cabinet Gives Nod to Bring in Ordinance for SC, ST Quota in J&K by Amending Article 370

New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to the promulgation of an ordinance for giving reservation benefits to SCs and STs in Jammu and Kashmir by amending a clause of the contentious Article 370, which gives special status to the state.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

"It will serve the purpose of application of relevant provisions of the Constitution of India, as amended through the Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 and Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 for Jammu and Kashmir, by issuing the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019 by the President under clause (1) of Article 370," it said.

The ordinance will have to be promulgated by the President.

The Constitution (Seventy Seventh Amendment) Act, 1995 provides for reservation in promotion for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, while the Constitution (One Hundred and third Amendment) Act, 2019 provides for 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker sections.

The government had enacted a law last month to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor.

The Union Cabinet also decided to promulgate an ordinance -- The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019 -- to give reservation benefits to the people living along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, who often face shelling from across the border.

"It provides for amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 to bring persons residing in the areas adjoining International Border within the ambit of reservation at par with persons living in areas adjoining Actual Line of Control (ALoC)," Jaitley said.

This facility was so far available to the people living along the Actual Line of Control in the state who also face similar living condition.

This proposal was moved by the Jammu and Kashmir government, which is under the President's rule.