The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday announced reservation of 4% seats in its engineering and medical institutions for students from Ladakh.

“4% seats in professional institutions of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir will be reserved for students of Ladakh for the academic year 2020-’21; these include 24 seats in engineering, 35 in medical colleges; this was stated in a meeting chaired by CS BVR Subrahmanyam,” the official account of Jammu and Kashmir’s Department of Information and Public Relations tweeted.

Under the new reservation policy, 24 seats from engineering and 35 from medical institutes will be deducted from the total seats available. The government said that reservation for residents of Jammu and Kashmir will be calculated on remaining seats under provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act and Rules.

Reservation in professional institutions is governed through Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act and Rules that were amended as part of the erstwhile state’s reorganisation, the administration said. The legislations do not apply to Ladakh.

“Keeping in view the non-availability of professional institutions in the Union Territory of Ladakh and recommendations of the Advisory Committee constituted by the Government of India, a decision was taken earlier to reserve 4% seats in both engineering as well as medical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir for students from UT of Ladakh,” a government statement said.

The administration’s chief secretary instructed the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations to discuss the matter with the Ladakh authorities in terms of admission and reservation policies for applicants.

On August 5 last year, the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and divided the erstwhile state into two Union Territories. Internet services were completely stopped and movement was restricted for several months after the Centre’s decision. A year after the administrative changes were made in Jammu and Kashmir, thousands of students and scholars continue to struggle due to low speed internet connection.

Meanwhile, a day ahead of the first anniversary of the withdrawal of the special status, a curfew has been imposed across the Kashmir Valley as authorities fear protests and violence.

Also read:

A year without high-speed internet ravaged health, education, entrepreneurship in Kashmir