Over 195,000 Category Certificates Issued in First Three Quarters of 2025: Govt

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, Oct 31: The Social Welfare Department of Jammu and Kashmir has informed that a total of 195,863 certificates for various reserved categories were issued between January 1 and September 30, 2025.

This data was provided in a written reply to MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, during the autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. According to an official document obtained by Kashmir Convener, the region-wise breakdown shows the Jammu region led with 135,072 certificates issued, while the Kashmir region saw 60,791 certificates issued.

The government’s reply also detailed that 32,671 applications for these certificates were rejected during the same period. Of these, 25,354 rejections occurred in the Jammu region and 7,317 in the Kashmir region.

The government clarified the stringent criteria for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category. To qualify, a family’s gross annual income must be below Rs. 8 lakh. Furthermore, an individual is excluded from EWS status, irrespective of family income, if their family owns any of the following assets: 5 acres or more of agricultural land; a residential flat of 1000 sq. ft. or larger; a residential plot of 100 sq. yards or more in notified municipalities; or a residential plot of 200 sq. yards or more in non-notified areas. The government stated that “no such proposal is under consideration at present” to relax these asset-based exclusion criteria.

The document further noted that the current quantum of reservation across various categories in the Union Territory stands at 50%, which is supplemented by an additional 10% reservation for EWS as a horizontal provision.

In a significant development, the government constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee on December 10, 2024, to examine various aspects of the existing reservation structure. The committee has conducted deliberations and consultations with stakeholders and has since submitted its report to the Council of Ministers. The government stated that the report “shall be finalized in due course of time.”