EWS Criteria – A reservation quota for 10% has been introduced by the Central Government for the EWS, the Economically Weaker Sections. It applies to the candidates from the General Category. However, the point to be noted is that a great many of the candidates are not aware of the eligibility criteria to avail of the same.
A deserving candidate of the General Category, belonging to the Economically Weaker Section would be better able to apply for the reservation quota once he is fully aware of how to do so. The reservation is applicable to the Government jobs including the Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Services etc., apart from several Government institutions including the IITs and the IIMs.
Related Article: OBCs: Reservation for the Government Jobs
But, again, a General Category EWS candidate may avail of the advantages that the quota provides once he is well aware of the eligibility criteria.
EWS Reservation Quota: The Eligibility Criteria
Most of the General Category EWS candidates including even some of the Indian bureaucrats are yet not aware of the new provision introduced by the Government for the EWS reservation quota. The point to be noted is if you can be considered as a General Category EWS candidate or not is based upon the assets and the income of your family.
In case a General Category candidate wants to avail of the advantages provided by the EWS quota, he would be required to fulfill the criteria provided by the Central Government as given below:
1. How much of the quota is there for the General Category EWS candidates?
The General Category EWS candidates can avail of 10% reservation quota. For other categories, it is as listed below:
- OBC – 27%
- SC – 15%
- ST – 7.5%
2. How much is your family income?
First of all, you should not be a candidate from the OBCs, SCs and the STs. Next, your family’s annual income should be lesser than Rs. 8 lakhs. Besides, it includes the income from the sources such as
(a) salary,
(b) agriculture,
(c) business,
(d) profession, etc.
And it should be noted that the condition specified above applies to the financial condition before the year of applying for the reservation quota benefit.
3. How much of the agricultural land is owned by your family?
The agricultural land owned or possessed by your family should not equal or exceed 5 acres.
4. How many sq. feet is the residential flat that your family owns?
The residential flat owned by your family should not cover an area for 1000 sq. feet or exceed that.
5. How much is the residential plot that your family owns in the notified municipality?
It should not equal or exceed 100 sq. yards.
6. How much is the residential plot that your family owns in a location other than the notified municipalities?
It should not equal or exceed 200 sq. yards.
7. Is the EWS Reservation Eligibility uniform across the nation?
The criteria specified above is as per what is provided by the Central Government. However, the States can fix the income cut-offs in order to qualify the candidate(s) as belonging to the EWS or not. Also, they can also exceed the income criteria decided by the Center.
8. What does the very word family apply to as per the rules for the reservation?
It includes the following:
(a) the candidate seeking the reservation
(b) parents
(c) siblings below 18
(d) spouse and children below 18
It should be noted that the property the family holds at different locations is clubbed before qualifying a candidate as eligible for the EWS reservation quota.
9. How to claim the EWS reservation quota benefits?
In order to claims the EWS Reservation quota when we talk of the Civil Services Exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, the candidate would require an Income & Asset certificate from the authority concerned, e.g., the Tehsildar.
Who can issue an Income & Asset certificate?
(I) -District Magistrate
-Additional District Magistrate
-Collector
-Deputy Commissioner
-Additional’ Deputy Commissioner
-1st Class Stipendary Magistrate
-Sub-Divisional Magistrate
-Taluka Magistrate
-Executive Magistrate
-Extra Assistant Commissioner
(II) -Chief Presidency Magistrate
-Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate
-Presidency Magistrate
(III) Revenue Officer, not below the Tehsildar’s rank
(IV) Sub-Divisional Officer where the candidate and/or his family
usually resides
Who verifies the claims for the EWS made by a candidate?
The authority who issues the certificate would verify the claims as well, verifying all the required documents as per the procedure that the respective UT or the State, as the case may be, prescribes.
It should be noted that in case, a candidate is recruited on the grounds of a false claim, the appointment would be terminated invoking the conditions that the offer letter specifies.
Are the EWS Reservation quota candidates allowed the benefits for the number of attempts, relaxation in the upper age limit and other such benefits?
Though there was a proposal initially to these effects, no such benefits are allowed so far.
EWS vs OBC Reservation
The OBC non-creamy layer is entitled to a 27% reservation quota. For EWS, the reservation provision is for a 10% quota. In case of the OBCs, SCs and the STs, the provisions are there concerning the total number of attempts, upper age limit relaxation, and the marks for the cut-off. Besides, as far as the OBCs are concerned, the candidate’s and/or his spouse’s income does not form a part of the family income.