PDP leader Waheed Para on Wednesday called for the scrapping of the reservation policy in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it can compromise the long-term quality and competence of institutions.

In a post on X, Para said the J&K PSC-2023 results had only 40% of candidates selected on “open merit”, despite more than 70% of the state population being in the unreserved category. He was commenting on the candidates called for the Jammu and Kashmir Combined Competitive Examination, 2023.

According to a list, out of 71 candidates called for the medical exam, 42 belong to reserved categories. “The government must scrap this unjust policy against merit and ensure reservations reflect true population proportions,” Para, the MLA from Pulwama, said.

“J&K’s youngsters deserve inclusion, not exclusion. This isn’t limited to jobs but compromising long term (sic) quality and competence in all institutions,” the president of the party’s youth wing said.