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.