THERE are moments in history when people face a choice: do we heal the scars of the past, or do we protect the hope that carries us into the future? For a generation raised on the belief that hard work, discipline, and perseverance open doors, Jammu and Kashmir presents a cruel paradox. The doors remain, yet many lead nowhere. The barrier is no longer conflict or poverty alone; it is the shifting landscape of opportunity itself.

The system of reservation, intended to correct historical injustices, has inadvertently left a large section of aspirants feeling trapped. Merit, once a reliable measure of effort and ability, is increasingly overshadowed by the circumstances of birth and geography. Philosophers from Aristotle to John Rawls remind us that fairness must account for inequality, yet

See Full Page