The recently revised reservation policy for postgraduate medical seats in Jammu Kashmir has sparked widespread criticism for drastically reducing the open merit quota to mere 29 per cent.
Medical aspirants have expressed concern that this decision could undermine meritocracy and adversely impact healthcare delivery in the region.
In a press release to The Kashmiriyat, the aspirants highlighted challenges posed by the All-India Quota (AIQ) system, under which half of J-K’s postgraduate medical seats are pooled.
“Over the past three years, this has resulted in nearly 300 seats annually being filled by non-domicile students, many of whom leave the state after completing their degrees,” the statement added.
The students called for introducing a mandatory service bond for MD and MS students, as practiced in other states.
Medical professionals and stakeholders have warned that the erosion of merit-based allocations could lead to declining healthcare standards in Jammu Kashmir.
Aspirants have urged the government to revisit these policies and strike a balance that preserves merit while addressing the needs of reserved categories.
For the past few weeks, the issue has sparked intense debate online, with many calling for urgent reforms to protect the future of the open merit and medical education and healthcare in the region.
Pertinently, J-K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) released the results of the first round of counselling last week, revealing that out of 293 postgraduate seats, only 87 were allocated to open merit candidates.
This marks a steep decline compared to previous years when open merit accounted for a majority of seats.
In 2022, the introduction of SO-176 brought significant changes to seat allocations, reducing the proportion of open merit seats from 75% in 2019 to just 29.6% this year after adjustments for reserved category candidates qualifying under open merit.
Aspirants argue that this shift disproportionately disadvantages general category students, who make up the majority.
With 71% of seats now reserved for specific categories, many aspirants have expressed concerns about the fairness of the system and its potential long-term impact on healthcare quality.
The fact that reserved category candidates meeting open merit cut-offs further shrink the pool for general category aspirants has only heightened these worries.
Adding to the frustration is the redistribution of unfilled seats from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.
Historically, these seats were reallocated to the open merit pool, but this year they were transferred to reserved categories, leaving general category aspirants feeling increasingly marginalized.