Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!🌟 Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) leader and former Minister Hakeem Mohammed Yaseen has strongly criticised the Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education Department for what he termed as a “deeply flawed and unjust” allocation of Medical Officer (MO) posts, where only 192 out of 480 posts have been kept for Open Merit (OM) candidates.
In a statement issued here, Hakeem Mohammed Yaseen said that the present reservation structure has completely distorted the original objective of affirmative action. “Reservation was introduced to uplift the genuinely disadvantaged, not to overpower merit or convert equality into exclusion. Today, Open Merit candidates—despite being the backbone of competitive examinations—are being pushed to the wall,” he said.
The former Minister expressed serious concern over the reservation breakup, under which a majority of posts have been allocated to various reserved categories, leaving Open Merit with barely 40 per cent of the total vacancies. “This is creating a new injustice while claiming to correct an old one. Such imbalance is neither constitutional nor socially sustainable,” Yaseen asserted.
Referring to concerns raised by youth, legislators, and medical professionals, Yaseen said that with a common syllabus and uniform examination standards, nearly 60 to 70 per cent of aspirants are now forced to compete for a disproportionately smaller share of posts. “This has resulted in widespread frustration among meritorious doctors who have spent years preparing with the hope of fair competition,” he added.
Hakeem Mohammed Yaseen also pointed out that reservations in Jammu and Kashmir have crossed the 60 per cent mark, severely shrinking the space for merit-based selection. He warned that diluting merit in medical recruitment could have serious consequences for public healthcare. “When competence is compromised, it is not the aspirant alone who suffers, but the entire society,” he said.
Welcoming the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s recommendation to increase the Open Merit quota by 10 per cent through rationalisation of EWS and RBA reservations, the PDF leader urged the Lieutenant Governor to approve the proposal without further delay. “The government must act decisively to restore balance, protect merit, and ensure justice for Open Merit candidates,” Yaseen said.
Reiterating PDF’s stand, Hakeem Mohammed Yaseen demanded an immediate review of the existing reservation policy, adherence to constitutional limits, and a recruitment framework that harmonises social justice with merit and efficiency.
He cautioned that continued marginalisation of Open Merit aspirants would erode faith in institutions and deepen social divides, defeating the very purpose for which reservations were envisaged.