The Union government on Wednesday introduced three Bills in the Lok Sabha, which are likely to shake up the quota structure for education and employment in Jammu and Kashmir, even as anger is mounting in the Union Territory over the issue.
The Tribal Affairs Ministry introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, through which the ‘Pahari Ethnic Group’ will be added to the Union Territory’s Scheduled Tribes list, along with three other communities, namely, ‘Gadda Brahmin’, ‘Koli’, and ‘Paddari Tribe’.
The Social Justice Ministry, meanwhile, introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which proposed to add ‘Valmiki’ as a synonym for the Chura, Bhangi, Balmiki, and Mehtar communities in the Union Territory’s Scheduled Castes list.
