Meghalaya govt begins study of expert panel report on reservation policy
The report was commissioned in response to political demands for a review of Meghalaya’s reservation policy
Shillong: The Meghalaya government on Monday said it will take some time before arriving at a final stand on the recommendations of the Expert Committee on the State Reservation Policy, with ministers stressing that the report is voluminous, far-reaching, and cannot be rushed.
The state’s tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh told reporters that the cabinet has received the committee’s report, which runs into “several thousands of pages”. The cabinet, he said, had taken cognizance of its contents and would now subject it to detailed examination before reaching any conclusion.
“The cabinet this morning took cognizance of the report and the various recommendations and has decided to immediately study the report. It is a voluminous report running into several thousands of pages. We will take time to study the various recommendations, and after due diligence we should be able to come up with a definite decision on the various recommendations of this committee,” Lyngdoh said.
The report was commissioned in response to political demands for a review of Meghalaya’s reservation policy. The current framework, introduced in 1972 when the state was carved out of Assam, provides for 40 percent reservation each for Khasi-Jaintia and Garo communities, 5 percent for other Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, and 15 percent for the unreserved category. Critics argue the policy no longer reflects changing demographics or economic realities, while others maintain it should remain untouched. The committee was tasked with examining the policy from legal, social, and economic perspectives and recommending a way forward.
Lyngdoh underlined that the report is not uniform in its approach, noting that “there are points which are for status quo and there are points which are fresh.” Among the new elements are economic considerations that go beyond the original framework of the policy.
“Now we are at a stage where the report has just been received. We have taken cognizance of the report and we will formulate a stand as a cabinet on the various recommendations,” he said. The chief secretary had briefed the cabinet on the document, but ministers, Lyngdoh added, still had questions, concerns, and areas needing clarity.
According to the minister, the government retains full discretion in responding to the panel’s suggestions. “The government has the option to accept or reject the recommendations, and the decision will be made after thorough consideration and consultation,” he said. “We have always been balanced, and we will continue to be so. Yes, the government has the option to accept or reject the recommendations. But finally, recommendations are just suggestions, and the decision is finally that of the state government.”
Pressed on the timeline, Lyngdoh said the report reached the government only in June and that the ongoing Assembly session in September coincides with its early stages of scrutiny. “We will need some time because it is a voluminous report with wide-ranging ramifications. We will not commit the mistake of rushing into any decision because each of the recommendations carry a lot of weight and need to be pursued,” he said.
Legal implications will also be carefully examined. “Obviously the report indicated that if you take this course of action, there will be the legal ramifications, so we will need to therefore peruse and go in depth into each of the recommendations,” Lyngdoh said.
He reiterated that the government’s ultimate goal is a “balanced outcome” that reflects the interests of all stakeholders. The reservation policy, which governs quotas in jobs and education, has long been one of Meghalaya’s most politically sensitive issues, and any change is expected to trigger strong responses from different communities.
