The Government of India has recently passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in Lok Sabha. These legislations aim to represent those who became refugees due to the conflict in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and to reserve one seat in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly specifically for them.
Background
Before the revocation of Article 370, the region of Jammu and Kashmir had distinct rules for delineating Lok Sabha and Assembly seats. After the removal of this article, Jammu and Kashmir transitioned into a Union Territory. Following this, a Delimitation Commission was established in March 2020 which was responsible for demarcating seats not only for J&K, but also for Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland. This commission recently concluded the delimitation process, leading to an increase in J&K’s legislative assembly seats from 107 to 114.
Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023
The Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill is aimed at amending Section 2 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, which provided reservation in jobs and admission in professional institutions to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and socially and educationally backward classes. The Amendment Bill seeks to change the description of these groups from “weak and underprivileged classes (social castes)”” to “”other backward classes’.
Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023
The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill seeks amendments to the 2019 Act, aiming to provide representation in the Legislative Assembly for Kashmiri Migrants and displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It proposes to increase the total number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly from 107 to 114, with 7 reserved for scheduled caste members and 9 seats for legislators from scheduled tribes.
Link Between Zero Terror Plan and Abrogation of Article 370
The Zero Terror Plan is a strategic initiative by the Indian Government to eliminate terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir. The plan began three years ago and is expected to be fully implemented by 2026. It is reported that there has been a decline in terrorism in the region following the abrogation of Article 370 which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Delimitation and Its Purpose
Delimitation is the process of redrawing the boundaries of territorial constituencies, either Assembly or Lok Sabha seat. This task is carried out by an independent team known as the Delimitation Commission. The Commission’s orders are legally binding and cannot be challenged in a court of law. The delimitation exercise aims to redefine the area of a constituency based on its population size as per the last Census. This process may result in a change in the number of seats in a state and can also involve reserving of Assembly seats for SC & ST as per the Constitution.
Previous Year’s Question Analysis for UPSC Civil Services Examination
Past questions from the exam have covered topics like the unchallengable orders of the Delimitation Commission, the size of the Lok Sabha constituency, and the location of the Siachen Glacier. More intensive discussions have revolved around the impact and future prospects of Article 370 in the context of Indian polity, and the role of over-ground workers in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency-affected areas.