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Government of India Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)

Amith

Government of India Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)

1. Constitutional Background:

  • Introduced through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.
  • Added Article 15(6) and 16(6):
    • Article 15(6): Provides up to 10% reservation for EWS in educational institutions.
    • Article 16(6): Provides up to 10% reservation for EWS in public employment.

2. Eligibility Criteria for EWS:

  • Annual household income less than ₹8 lakh.
  • Exclusion if the family owns:
    • Agricultural land of 5 acres or more.
    • Residential flat of 1000 sq. ft. or more.
    • Residential plot of 100 sq. yards or more in notified municipalities.
    • Residential plot of 200 sq. yards or more in other areas.

3. Key Features:

  • Horizontal Reservation: Applies to unreserved categories without disturbing SC/ST/OBC quotas.
  • Covers general category individuals who are economically weaker.
  • Applicable in admissions to central and state government institutions, as well as public employment.

4. Current Affairs (Developments):

  • Supreme Court Judgment (2022):
    • Upheld the constitutional validity of the EWS quota.
    • Ruled it does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution despite exceeding the 50% ceiling.
  • Income Criteria Debate (2023): Several demands for revising the ₹8 lakh threshold due to inflation.
  • Impact on Competitive Exams (2022–2023): Implementation of EWS quota in central exams like NEET, JEE, UPSC, and state-level exams.
  • State-Level Adoption: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and other states adopted the EWS quota with specific guidelines.

5. Benefits of EWS Reservation:

  • Expands reservation benefits to economically weaker general category individuals.
  • Creates opportunities in higher education and government jobs for underprivileged individuals outside the SC/ST/OBC categories.

6. Challenges and Criticisms:

  • Income Limit Controversy: Uniform ₹8 lakh threshold fails to account for regional disparities.
  • Exclusion of Other Categories: SC/ST/OBC categories excluded from EWS benefits, leading to allegations of unfairness.
  • Merit vs Quota Debate: Concerns over dilution of meritocracy.
  • 50% Cap Breach: Raises questions about judicial interpretations of the reservation ceiling.

7. Recent Initiatives and Statistics:

  • Central Universities: Implemented EWS reservations in undergraduate and postgraduate admissions.
  • NEET-UG and JEE-Mains (2023): Allocated 10% of seats under the EWS category.
  • State-level Implementation: Maharashtra and Karnataka are evaluating policies for effective EWS quota adoption.

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