Awaiting committee report on transfer policy for reserved category employees: Govt

Srinagar, Mar 26: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said that a final decision on the new transfer policy for reserved category employees working in the Kashmir Valley will be taken once the concerned committee submits its report.
In a reply to a question tabled by MLA Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal during the ongoing Assembly session, the government said that a committee was formed under Government Order No. 1265-JK(GAD) of 2022, dated October 20, 2022, to examine the transfer-related issues of Jammu-based reserved category employees posted in Kashmir.
The committee, headed by the Administrative Secretary of the Higher Education Department, has yet to finalize its report. The government said that it will take a decision once the report is submitted.
Regarding reservation in promotions for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees, the government clarified that such reservations were previously governed by the J&K Reservation Act, 2004, and the J&K Reservation Rules, 2005. These provisions allowed a certain percentage of vacancies in public services to be reserved for SCs, STs, and other socially and educationally backward classes, with the total reservation in promotions not exceeding 31%.
However, the J&K High Court had struck down Section 6 of the Reservation Act and certain related rules, citing them as unconstitutional under Article 16(4) of the Indian Constitution. Following this, the matter was taken to the Supreme Court, which issued an order to maintain the status quo, effectively pausing any changes until a final verdict is delivered.
Currently, promotions against reserved category posts are governed by Circular No.10-JK(GAD) of 2021, which states that reserved vacancies will remain unfilled until eligible candidates from the reserved categories are available for promotion based on seniority. This approach ensures that reserved category candidates retain their rightful opportunities while maintaining proper cadre management.