Kashmir has received significantly fewer government jobs under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category than the Jammu region despite having a larger number of Priority Household (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) ration card holders, according to figures cited in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Kashmir received only 61 jobs under the EWS criteria, compared with 696 in the Jammu region. The figures have raised questions over the way economic disadvantage is identified for EWS benefits in the Union Territory, with Peoples Conference president and MLA Sajjad Gani Lone calling for a more uniform definition of poverty and greater transparency in the certification process.

According to the figures cited by Lone, Kashmir has 37.71 lakh PHH/AAY ration card holders, compared with 29.81 lakh in the Jammu region. Based on the definition used for issuing these ration cards, around 55% of the poor population is in Kashmir, while 45% is in Jammu. However, the distribution of EWS certificates shows a markedly different pattern. Only 2,486 EWS certificates were issued in Kashmir over the last two years, compared with 24,058 in the Jammu region. This means that approximately 92% of the EWS certificates issued during the period came from Jammu, while only 8% were issued in Kashmir.

Lone raised the issue during the recently concluded autumn session of the J&K Assembly, questioning the difference between the criteria used to identify households eligible for subsidised food and those applied when determining EWS eligibility for government recruitment. He argued that the disparity warrants a review of the existing asset-based criteria used for EWS certification. According to Lone, the current system produces an outcome in which the distribution of EWS certificates and government jobs does not correspond with the regional distribution of PHH and AAY ration card holders. He has demanded that the existing definition be changed and replaced with a mechanism that applies more uniformly across Jammu and Kashmir.

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The MLA pointed to the role of PHH and AAY ration cards as an indicator of economic vulnerability. Holders of these cards are entitled to food grains at subsidised rates under the public distribution system. Lone argued that the same documents are also accepted as evidence of economic hardship by major institutions in other circumstances. He specifically cited premier health institutions, including AIIMS, as accepting ration cards as proof of poverty. According to his argument, the different treatment of such documentation during government recruitment creates an inconsistency that needs to be addressed through a more transparent and standardised system.

Lone said the disparity becomes particularly significant when residents of Jammu and Kashmir apply for government employment under the EWS category. Instead of relying on PHH or AAY status, applicants are required to obtain a recruitment-specific EWS certificate based on the applicable criteria. The figures presented in the Assembly indicate that the certification process has produced a much higher number of EWS certificates in Jammu than in Kashmir, despite Kashmir having a larger number of PHH/AAY ration card holders. Lone has questioned whether the current asset-based approach adequately captures economic vulnerability across different regions and social circumstances within the Union Territory.

The issue has consequently become part of a broader debate over how poverty and economic disadvantage should be measured for access to government benefits and employment opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir. Lone has demanded that the asset-based criteria be reconsidered and replaced with a uniform and transparent mechanism for identifying economically weaker households. The figures cited in the Assembly show a clear difference between the regional distribution of PHH/AAY ration card holders and the issuance of EWS certificates and jobs. Whether the criteria are changed will depend on decisions by the J&K administration and the authorities responsible for implementing EWS provisions in government recruitment.

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