Over 70 pc of 90 newly-elected MLAs in J&K graduates

Srinagar, Oct 12: More than 70 per cent of the 90 MLAs elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly have declared their minimum educational qualification as graduates, including three who hold doctorate degrees.

According to data compiled by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), all three doctorate degree holders who emerged victorious in the recently-held Assembly polls belong to the BJP, which also has six graduates with professional degrees and four post-graduate MLAs.

The National Conference (NC), which emerged as the single-largest party in the polls with 42 seats, has 16 graduates with professional degrees and five post-graduates in their legislature party.

While eight MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have declared matriculation as their highest educational qualification, the number of such MLAs in the NC is just one. The BJP has two MLAs who have not passed the Class-10 examination while there is one NC legislator in this category.

The BJP has four MLAs who have passed the Class-12 examination while the number of such legislators in the NC is six.

An overall analysis of the educational qualifications of the new Assembly members reveals that four MLAs have not passed the Class-10 examination while nine are matriculates. For a dozen MLAs, Class 12 is the highest educational qualification.

There are 16 graduates and 32 graduates with professional degrees who are members of the first Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, while 12 members have completed post-graduate degrees. There are three doctorate degree holders and two diploma holders in the House as well.

The ADR data also reveals that nine of the 90 MLAs have criminal cases against them, with eight of them facing serious charges that carry a punishment of five or more years in jail.

Five of these MLAs belong to the NC, with four of them facing serious charges, while two BJP MLAs also face serious criminal cases. The other two belong to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

The number of MLAs facing criminal cases has gone up this time. Only five MLAs had criminal cases against them in the 87-member Assembly of the erstwhile state, including two who were facing serious charges.