Srinagar, Dec 20: United Doctors Front Association (UDFA), a national forum of doctors on Friday expressed grave concern over the current state of reservation policy implementation in Jammu and Kashmir, specifically regarding SRO 49 of January 30, 2018.
Dr Mir Waseem National Joint Secretary of the association said the current system is severely impacting open merit candidates and creating an unfair and imbalanced environment in the medical field.
“The current implementation of reservation policy appears to be disproportionately for favour reserved category candidates, leading to the exclusion of highly qualified and deserving open merit candidates from securing positions in medical institutions across J&K,” he said.
Dr Waseem said that the current practices deviate significantly from the guidelines outlined in SRO 49, which aims to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of opportunities while safeguarding the interests of all categories of candidates.
“The prevailing situation undermines the principle of meritocracy, which is crucial for maintaining high standards of healthcare delivery in the region,” he said. “The UDFA urged the Government of UT Jammu and Kashmir to review the current implementation of reservation policy in light of SRO 49.”
The UT government, Dr Waseem said must ensure strict adherence to the guidelines and provisions outlined in SRO 49 to ensure fair and equitable representation for all categories of candidates. “The association seeks immediate steps to safeguard the interests of open merit candidates and prevent their exclusion from available positions,” he said.
He said that the government should establish a transparent and accountable mechanism to monitor implementation of reservation policy and address any concerns or grievances raised by candidates.
“We urge the J & K Government to take decisive action to address these concerns and ensure a fair and equitable system for all medical professionals in the region,” Dr Waseem said. Earlier, this month, there were protests in the medical colleges in Kashmir with students demanding restoration of SRO 49 for the open merit as doctors raised concern over 70 percent reservation.
