ICSSR Study Employs Quantitative Survey and Qualitative Insights to Assess Marginalization in Reorganized J&K

JK News Today

SRINAGAR / GANDERBAL – June 2, 2026 – A consultative workshop under the ICSSR-funded major research project titled “Constitutional Reforms and Marginalized Groups: A Socio-Legal Analysis in Reorganized J&K” was held today in collaboration with the School of Legal Studies, Central University of Kashmir (CUK). The event brought together legal scholars, social scientists, and practitioners to examine the empirical gap between constitutional promises and the lived realities of marginalized communities in the Union Territory since its reorganization.

The project, directed by Prof. Arvind Jasrotia, Professor, Department of Law, University of Jammu, opened the proceedings by outlining the project’s broader contours and core research objectives. He noted that the need to systematically assess ground-level realities prompted the team to adopt a mixed-method social enquiry approach, including a large-scale quantitative survey across diverse regions of J&K, supplemented by qualitative insights from community interactions. The workshop followed a similar successful consultation held earlier in Jammu, enabling comparative data triangulation.

Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Farooq Ahmed Mir, Head & Dean, Faculty of Law, School of Legal Studies, CUK, emphasized the constitutional framework underpinning the research. He drew attention to various government schemes designed to uplift marginalized sections, while stressing the need for effective policy implementation to realize the transformative vision of the Constitution.

Contiuing the discussion further, Dr. Javid Rashid, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Kashmir examined the relationship between constitutional reform and social justice in Jammu & Kashmir, with particular reference to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, and girls. Adopting a social work perspective, he reflected on themes of inclusion, representation, capabilities, educational access, gender justice, and tribal development, while emphasizing the need to evaluate constitutional change through its impact on the everyday lives of marginalized communities.

Dr. Gulafroz Jan, Assistant Professor, School of Legal Studies, CUK, extended the dialogue by identifying structural fault lines that widen the gulf between formal equality and substantive equality. Drawing on socio-legal jurisprudence, she proposed actionable, evidence-led recommendations, with institutional sensitization as the immediate priority, to ensure that constitutional reforms translate into meaningful, measurable change for the most vulnerable populations.

The workshop concluded with a formal vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Bilal Ahmed, followed by the distribution of certificates to participating attendees. The deliberations will inform the project’s final policy briefs and academic outputs, contributing to scholarly discourse on inclusive constitutional governance in reorganized J&K, Dr. Jasrotia added.