New Delhi, 28 September 2022, EWS Quota: The constitution bench of the Supreme Court (SC) declared its verdict on the 103 amendment act that provides 10 per cent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category in the education and government sector. The Chief Justice of India stated that the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation will not impact the availability of seats for the unreserved other reserved categories as 2,13,766 additional seats will be added to the existing seats of higher education institutions.
Note –
- The Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities will be eligible to apply for posts and services of the Government of India under the EWS reservation criteria.
- The Indian Government has provided INR 4315 crore to higher education institutions to create new infrastructure.
What is the EWS Quota?
The Union Council of Ministers introduced the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation on 14 January 2018. The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) is the section of the society of India that belongs to the un-reserved category. The candidates that come under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation must have a maximum family income of INR 8 lakh. The candidates eligible for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation belong to general category.
EWS Quota – Eligibility
- Candidates must belong to the General category.
- The family income should be less than 8 lakhs annually.
- The family members should reside near slum areas.
- The primary income source of income must be manual or household labour in rural or urban society.
- Candidates must be registered under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)
- The family of the applicant must not possess agricultural land of more than 5 acres.
- The education qualification of parents must be below the higher secondary level.
- The household property should not exceed more than 800 or 1000 sq. ft.
EWS Quota – Timeline
The 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act was passed on 12 January 2019 which states that Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) should be provided 10 per cent quota in educational institutes and government jobs.
A brief timeline of the 103 amendment act from 9 January 2019 to 27 September 2022 is given below:
| Particulars | Date |
| Enactment of the Constitution | 9 January 2019 |
| First Written Petition Against the Act | 10 January 2019 |
| First Ascent on the Act by President | 12 January 2019 |
| Three-Judge Bench Hearing | 12 March 2019 |
| Hearing of the Case | 13 September 2022 |
| Final Verdict | 27 September 2022 |
EWS Quota – Challenges
- Petitions were filed in the Supreme Court stating that the amendment violates the “basic structure” of the constitution.
- The Union of India rejected the amendment bill as no such act must be passed that violates the basic structure of the constitution.
- The Indra Sawhney & Others vs Union of India case decided not to exceed 40% of the total seats for the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) categories.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.1 What is EWS category?
The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) is the subcategory of those candidates whose family income is less than 8 lakh per annum and who belong to General category.
Q2. When was the final verdict released for the EWS category?
The constitution bench of the Supreme Court reserved its final verdict that provides 10 per cent reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category in the education and government sector on 27 September 2022.
Q3. How many seats are added in the higher education institutions for EWS category?
The supreme court has decided to provide 2,13,766 additional seats for EWS category in higher education institutions.
Q4. What is the role of 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act?
The 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act introduced a 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in government jobs and admissions.
Q5. What is the minimum income criteria for EWS category?
The minimum income criteria for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category is less than INR 8 lakh annually.
