Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration under LG Manoj Sinha on Saturday redrawn the social caste list by including 15 new classes and renaming several others.
In a notification, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has included 15 more classes into the social caste category list including Waghey (Chopan), Ghirath/Bhati/Chang community, Jat community, Saini community, Markabans/PonyWalas, Sochi community, Christian Biradari (converted from Hindu Valmiki), Sunar/Swarankar Teeli (Hindu Teeli along with already existing Muslim Teli), Perna/Kouro(Kaurav),Bojru/Decount/Dubdabay Brahmin Gorkans , Gorkhas, West Pakistani refugees (excluding SCs) and Acharyas".
It is oertinent to mention that under the Jammu & Kashmir Government’s reservation rules, social castes have four percent reservation in government jobs.
Apart from adding 15 new classes, certain modifications in the existing social castes was also made by subsisting their names.
According to the notification, potters (Kumahars),shoe repairers (working without the aid of machines), Bangies Khakrobes (Sweepers), barbers, washerman and Dooms have been respectively replaced by Kumahars, Mochi, Bangies Khakrobes, Hajjam Atrai, Dhobi, and Dooms (excluding SCs).
The social caste list has been redrawn on the recommendations of the Jammu and Kashmir Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Commission, constituted by J&K Government in 2020. Former High Court Judge, G. D Sharma was the head of the three-member panel.
The other significant change made in the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules is that the words "Pahari Speaking people (PSP)" was replaced with "Pahari Ethnic people.”
(KNO)