The Indian government has issued an order announcing that all government jobs in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be reserved for domiciles.
The move comes months after the Narendra Modi government at the Centre abrogated Article 370, thus ending the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating it into two Union Territories (UTs) – Jammu and Kashmir division, and Ladakh division.
The notification issued by Ministry of Home Affairs read, “any person who has resided for a period of 15 years in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir or has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10/12 examination in an educational institution located in the UT shall be deemed to be a domicile for the purpose of appointment to any post carrying a pay scale of not more than Level-4”.
The notification further says that anyone regarded as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants) in Jammu and Kashmir shall also be deemed to be a domicile of the newly formed Union Territory.
“The domicile status also applies to children of those central government officials, All India Services officers, PSUs officials and central universities officials who have served in Jammu and Kashmir for a total period of 10 years,” the notification said.
It further added that children of Jammu and Kashmir residents who reside outside of the UT for employment and business or other professional reasons but their parents fulfil any of these conditions shall be deemed to be a domicile.
Besides Article 370, the Centre also struck down Article 35A of the constitution. These provisions provided the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature the powers to decide “permanent residents”, and prohibiting a non-resident of Jammu and Kashmir from buying property there.