Strong protests in Jammu and Kashmir against JK Bank's new reservation policy

Jammu and Kashmir Bank has implemented a new revised reservation policy to fill 1,400 vacancies, leading to political tension in Srinagar. According to a report by The Hindu, regional political parties, religious and social organisations have strongly protested the implementation of this policy on Monday, 9 November 2026. Many have described this policy as an 'act of exclusion' carried out under the guise of reservation.

The bank has decided to fill a total of 1,400 positions, including 323 Probationary Officers and 1,033 Banking Associates. This recruitment process will be conducted as per the new reservation policy. Under this policy, the bank has decided to allocate 40% of positions for open merit and 60% for reserved categories. The detailed distribution of reservation includes 8% for Scheduled Castes, 20% for Scheduled Tribes, 8% for Other Backward Classes (OBC), 4% for residents of the Actual Line of Control (LoC) or international border, 10% for residents of backward areas (RBA), and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Changes have also been made to the age limits in this new policy. The upper age limit for open merit has been reduced from 32 years to 30 years, while for reserved categories, this limit has been increased to 40 years. Reacting to this, Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Shamima Firdaus stated that the current upper age limit of 30 years needed reconsideration and the recruitment age limit should be increased to 40 years to provide more opportunities to eligible candidates.

Protesters against this policy include regional parties, including the ruling National Conference (NC). The JK Students Association (JKSA) has demanded the intervention of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in this matter. In a letter to the Lieutenant Governor, JKSA National Spokesperson Zubair Rishi stated that only about 542 positions fall under open merit, while all remaining positions have been allocated to reserved categories. He argued that merit should be the cornerstone of recruitment and every eligible candidate should have a fair chance to compete. The letter further added that the educated youth of JK have endured years of uncertainty and limited employment opportunities, and therefore, they should not be penalised for situations over which they had no control.

JKSA also emphasised that the bank's new recruitment announcement has come after a long gap of nearly six years. There is widespread disappointment among candidates due to the reduction in the age limit, as thousands of youths have spent years preparing for competitive examinations and spent significant financial resources. Opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Wahid ur Rehman Para described this policy as alarming. He said that the 20-30 year age limit is completely unfair to thousands of candidates who had been waiting patiently for years.

This revised reservation policy was introduced during 2021-2022 by the then Chairman R.K. Chhibber. JK Bank is considered the main non-governmental recruitment agency of the Union Territory, as corporate presence is low in this area and the bank provides high-level jobs. During Chhibber's tenure in 2021-2022, approximately 1.40 lakh locals applied for 1,500 Banking Associates positions. At that time, allegations were made against Chhibber that more candidates from the Jammu region were selected compared to candidates from the Kashmir division, creating a regional imbalance.

Despite being appointed as a trustee of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), R.K. Chhibber remained on the bank's Board of Directors until 2026 and was a primary proponent of introducing the new reservation policy.