Srinagar, June 18: Jammu and Kashmir cabinet headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss the cabinet sub-committee (CSC) report on reservations in government jobs.

The CSC finalised its report on June 10, and the same will be tabled before the cabinet to take its call on the contentious issue that has constitutional and legal implications.

The report finalised on June 10 by the CSC will be discussed, and a view will be taken on how to proceed on the sensitive issue.

Of the five cabinet ministers in J&K, except the CM, three ministers are members of the CSC.

There has been unrest among the open merit candidates as the reservations under various categories in the UT have reached almost 70 per cent, leaving just 30 per cent of seats for the open merit candidates to compete among themselves when applying for a government job.

The cabinet will have to take the final call on the implementation of the CSC report and also the procedure to be adopted to implement the CSC recommendations.

The ruling National Conference (NC) election manifesto had promised to revisit the reservation policy to make it merit-friendly by providing open merit candidates the maximum share.

On December 10, 2024, the CSC was formed and asked to submit its report within six months.

For the Omar Abdullah-led government, taking the final call on reservations is going to be a tough call, as a cut in the reservation in any category will be a difficult task, but without that, there is no other way to give relief to open merit candidates.

As per the existing rules, 20 per cent reservation has been given to Scheduled Tribes (STs) including 10 per cent each to Gujjars and Bakerwals and Pahari Ethnic Tribes, 10 per cent to Resident of Backward Areas (RBAs), 10 per cent to Economically Weaker Sections, 8 per cent to Other Backward Classes, 8 per cent to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 4 per cent to the residents of areas adjoining Line of Actual Control (ALC)/International Border (IB).

There is a 10 per cent horizontal reservation, including 6 per cent to ex-servicemen and 4 per cent to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

Further, some candidates from the reserved category, who get selected in the general category, can also opt for jobs in the open category.

There was no reservation for OBCs till a year back, and only four per cent reservation was given under the category Other Social Castes (OSCs). The BJP-led Union government fulfilled the long-pending demand of the OBCs for reservation and passed a law in the Parliament, after which they got 8 per cent reservation.

Also, there was a 20 per cent reservation under the RBA category, which has been reduced to 10 per cent. There were allegations that influential persons got their villages included in the RBA category to avail the benefits of reservation for their kin.

The reservations in Jammu and Kashmir came into effect after the Reorganisation Act 2019 was passed by the Parliament. Even if the CSC recommendations are accepted by the cabinet and also passed by the UT’s Legislative Assembly, the question being asked is whether they can come into effect without the Parliament’s approval?

Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 includes provisions for reservations in jobs and admissions within the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These provisions extend the existing reservation policies applicable to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other socially and educationally backward classes to J&K.

New Delhi, June 18: Senior Congress leader Udit Raj has stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “claims cannot be trusted” unless the US Presidency issues a confirmation that third-party mediation was not requested during Operation Sindoor.

He questioned why the Modi government has not yet convened a special parliamentary session to counter US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims about brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor.

Raj’s remarks came after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri disclosed details of a 35-minute phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump.

During the call, PM Modi told Trump that the decision to halt military action was taken through direct communication between Indian and Pakistani military channels and that India firmly rejects any external mediation on issues related to Pakistan.

However, Udit Raj dismissed the government’s version of the call and accused the Prime Minister of being “dishonest”.

“Trump has said this 14 times. How does PM Modi’s statement help? PM Modi repeatedly lies; he wins elections by lying. If there is such a thing (as the phone call with Trump), then why does the Prime Minister not call a special session of Parliament? Why did he not dismiss the 14 mentions of ceasefire claims made by Trump?” Raj told media.

The Congress leader further alleged that the government has failed to counter Trump’s narrative at the global level.

“Why did PM Modi go running to the G7? He had no work there. Even there, Trump indirectly belittled India by saying Russia and China should be part of the G7. Why didn’t he say India should be a member? So, who can believe what PM Modi is saying? Till Trump or the White House officially confirm what PM Modi claimed, there’s no point in believing it,” he added.

“We only trust the truth. Trump said it 14 times. Did PM Modi ever once dismiss it? Can someone run the government by lies?” he asked.

The Congress leader also pointed to the ongoing US visit of the Pakistani Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is scheduled to meet Trump, saying it signals a shift in Pakistan’s international standing.

“After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s global image and foreign policy have been steadily improving. No country has come forward to stand with India. Is speaking this truth considered anti-national? It is actually in the nation’s interest to question where we went wrong. If we keep our eyes closed, we will be ruined,” Raj said.

He also referenced the “international isolation” Pakistan faced after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and contrasted it with the current scenario.

“There was a time when the entire world isolated Pakistan. Today, we are isolated. Whether it’s ADB or IMF, everyone is providing loans to Pakistan to fight against India. Pakistan has also mended relations with countries it previously had strained ties with,” he said.

Chennai, June 18: Three sitting judges and two retired judges of the Madras High Court, along with hundreds of other passengers on board the Yercaud Superfast Express, had a miraculous escape after the train ran over a heavy iron rail piece deliberately placed across the tracks near Sankagiri in Salem district.

The train — Yercaud Superfast Express (Train No. 22650) — was en route from Erode to Chennai when the incident occurred around 9.45 p.m. on Tuesday, shortly after the train had crossed Mavelipalayam and was approaching Magudanchavadi railway station.

The train had departed Erode Junction at 9.01 p.m. Among the passengers were Justices N. Sathish Kumar, G.K. Ilanthiraiyan, and Krishnan Ramasamy, as well as retired Justices K. Kalyanasundaram and M. Govindaraj.

According to railway sources, the locomotive struck a 10-foot-long iron rod — believed to be a piece of rail track — which had been placed deliberately across the line near Kaligoundampalayam, in the Sankari block.

The engine dragged the obstruction for nearly 300 metres before the loco pilot brought the train to a screeching halt, preventing what could have been a catastrophic derailment.

As a result of the collision, the engine’s brake lining jammed, rendering the locomotive inoperable. Fortunately, none of the coaches were affected, and no injuries were reported among the passengers.

Upon inspection, the loco pilots found the iron rod wedged beneath the engine.

Officials from the Salem Railway Division, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), and the local Magudanchavadi police rushed to the site. The obstruction was removed, and a relief engine was dispatched from Erode.

The train resumed its journey at around 11.45 p.m., and the passengers safely reached Chennai early Wednesday morning after a delay of approximately three hours.

Railway authorities have taken the incident seriously, viewing it as a deliberate attempt to derail the train.

A probe has been launched, and surveillance footage from the surrounding area is being examined.

The incident also caused delays to several other trains operating on the Erode-Chennai route. Officials said enhanced patrolling and track inspections have been ordered in the region to prevent similar sabotage attempts in the future.