What is EWS (Economically Weaker Section)?
The term EWS is used for the people having an annual family income less than ₹8 lakh in the ‘unreserved’ category. ‘Unreserved’ means the people who do not categorised as SC/ST or OBC and fall under ‘general’ category.
What is EWS Quota?
On 7 January 2019, the Union government approved a 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the EWS in the General category. The cabinet decided that this would be over and above the existing 50% reservation for SC/ST/OBC categories.
The legislation came into force on 14 January 2019 with 103rd amendments of the Constitution. Amendments in article 15 (6) and 16 (6) were made to permit 10% reservations to the EWS category.
What is the basic objective of EWS Quota?
The basic objective is to provide reservation based on economics. Since the socially disadvantaged sections are getting the privilege, with the amendments government had ensured that some benefits reach economically disadvantaged sections too.
What are other features of EWS Quota?
This Amendment empowers both the union and state government to grant reservation every poor and disadvantaged person of the society.
The 103rd amendment does not affect in the reservation policy SCs, STs, and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in any form.
The purpose of the 103rd amendment was to bring equality in the society and to break the wall between rich and poor.
What is the bone of contention?
The matter relates to the constitutional validity of reservations of the EWS in higher education and govt employment on the basis of financial conditions. The petitioners had submitted before the Supreme Court that providing reservation on the basis of economic criteria, excluding SC, ST and OBC Non-Creamy Layer, breaches the equality code.
The Centre, had said that SCs and STs have been given benefits by way of affirmative action — given reservation in promotion in government jobs, legislature, panchayat and municipalities — and the EWS quota does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution, as he defended the 103rd constitutional amendment. The Centre told the apex court that the EWS quota has been given without disturbing the 50 per cent quota, which is meant for the socially and economically backward classes (SEBC).
What the Supreme Court said today?
The apex court has uphold the quota for EWS saying it is no way violates any constitutional provisions.
Yogdatta Rajeev