Government of India Amends Domicile Law of J&K
In a notification dated April 1 2020 the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) brought in the new definition of domicile through the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of State Laws), Order 2020. From now on anyone who has been living in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir from past 15 years will considered as a resident. In case of the employees of the central government the required time period to be considered a resident of J&K is 10 years. These can be IAS officers of the government of India, employees of the central bank etc.
The children of such central government employees will also be considered as resident of the union territory of J&K even if they do not stay in J&K during this period. It has been further relaxed to 7 years in the case of students who has been studying or have completed their 10th or 12th from the union territory of J&K. Due to this change in law all the government jobs are now open to the people who have come to J&K from other parts of India but fulfil the prerequisite condition of the new domicile law. It has come nearly after eight months from the date of repeal of Article 370. Due to this change brought in by the government of India the general public especially of the Kashmir region is apprehending a demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir.
This move by the government of India is highly opposed by the political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir. In the current scenario former chief minister of Jammu and Kasmir Mr. Omar Abdullah has highly criticized it. Allegedly a pro New Delhi leader like Altaf Bukhari the founder of Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party has also met minister of home affairs Amit Shah in this regard.
Blog by:
Ankit Yadav
Amity Law School, Noida.