JAMMU KASHMR ASSEMBLY BILLS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: Recently, the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023

• Expansion of J&K Assembly Seats: This Bill proposes an increment in the total number of seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly from 107 to 114.
• Scheduled Tribes Reservation: As a notable change, the bill introduces the reservation of nine seats for Scheduled Tribes, marking the first time such a provision has been made.
• Basis on Delimitation Commission Report: The increase in the number of seats aligns with the recommendations put forth by the Delimitation Commission.
• Empowerment of Lieutenant-Governor: The bill grants the Lieutenant-Governor the authority to nominate three members in the Assembly, including two from the Kashmiri migrant community, one of whom must be a woman. 

oAdditionally, the third member is to be a representative of individuals from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) who sought refuge in India after the wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965, and 1971.

• Amendment in Terminology: The J&K Reservation Bill aims to substitute the term "weak and underprivileged classes (social castes)" with "other backward classes" in the J&K Reservation Act of 2004.
• Target of the 2004 Act: The 2004 Act specifically addresses reservations concerning appointments and admissions in professional institutions. 
• It focuses on members belonging to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and other socially and educationally backward classes.