01 Dec EWS Quota in Government Services and Educational Institutions  (GS Paper II : Social Justice, Constitution )

Content  : On the advice of the honorable supreme court , the Central government had formed a committee of three members to revisit the criteria for determining the economically weaker sections (EWS) in terms of the provisions of the explanation to Article 15 of the Constitution.

Introduction : In 2019 to establish social justice , Government of India approved a 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for EWS quota (Economic weaker section) EWS quota  means those persons who do not belong to SC/ST/OBC but they are economically backward and they need government support in this regard. In EWS quota, Those persons whose or their family income is not above 8 lac annually are eligible under EWS quota . In every government services and educational institute 10 % seats would be reserved under this Quota . The Government of India had approved that this would be over and above the existing 50% reservation for SC/ST/OBC categories.

This Bill was approved by the president on 12 January 2019 and this was the 103rd amendment of the constitution . Through This act several articles of the Indian constitution were changed like article 15(6) and 16(6) . many state cabinet had also provided their accependance over this Quota 

The term EWS (Economically Weaker Section ) ,  (EBC )Economically Backward Class and Most Economically Backward Class (MEBC) are different in their nature and provisions. EWS would be defined by the centre government while the other two would be defined by state government 

There has been debate regarding the income limit of this EWS section for a long time and the supreme court has also given some advice related to the criteria of eligibility for this section . 

Now the government has formed a committee of three persons Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Member Secretary ICSSR Prof VK Malhotra and Principal Economic Advisor to the Indian government Sanjeev Sanyal.

The committee will re-evaluate the parameters of EWS QuotaThis committee will also examine various approaches so far followed in the country for identifying economically weaker sections, and recommend criteria that may be adopted for identifying EWS category in future.

Actually the supreme court has been hearing regarding this matter in the NEWS section . The pea reading the parameter of EWS was file by pleas filed by a Students challenging the Centre and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) July 29 notice providing 27 per cent reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) and 10 per cent for EWS category in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-PG) admissions for medical courses for the current academic year. After filing this pea court had agreed On September 17 to hear this matter on  providing 27 per cent reservation for OBC and 10 per cent for EWS category in 15 per cent UG and 50 per cent PG All India Quota seats (MBBS/BDS and MD/MS/MDS) with effect from the current academic session 2021-22.

Significance :  

Definitely inclusive growth is the fundamental objective of any welfare state . In the process of development these economical section would not be left behind, for this identification of real EWS is necessary therefore Govt formed this committee 

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Dr. Anshul Bajpai

Plutus IAS Current Affairs Team Member