Updated June 3, 2023
Full Form of EWS: Economically Weaker Section
The unreserved group of individuals in India who earn less than eight lakhs annually is called the “economically weaker section” or “EWS.” Even if they do not fall under the OBC, SC, or ST caste categories, individuals who already benefit from reservations belong to this category.
The Central Government of India introduced the 124th and 103rd Constitution Amendment Bills in Parliament to grant reservations for people from the EWS among applicants in the general category. Therefore, higher education and government employment will be subject to a reservation of 10%.
What is the EWS?
The full form of EWS is the Economically Weaker Section, an unreserved group of individuals in India whose annual family income is less than 8 lakh rupees. This group includes individuals who already benefit from reservations, even if they do not come from the ST, SC, or OBC castes.
For this group of people who do not fall into the OBC, SC, or ST categories but rather into the unreserved category and meet the criteria for the EWS section, the Indian government established a reservation of 10%. Candidates in the general category who meet the requirements to be included in the reservation for those economically disadvantaged are now qualified for a reservation of 10%.
Even if they do not fall under the OBC, SC, or ST castes, these individuals fall under the category of those who already benefit from reservations.
Eligibility Criteria for EWS
In 2019, the Union Council of India approved a reservation of 10% in government positions and academic institutions for the EWS. However, to ensure that existing reservations for the ST, SC, and OBC categories are unaffected by the EWS reservation, it was agreed to make this reservation, moreover to the reservation of 50% required for those categories.
You can take advantage of this 10% reservation if you are a general category applicant for a government position or an individual applying for admission to your dream school. Below are the requirements for eligibility:
- It would be advantageous if you were from the general category, which means you can’t be from the SC, ST, OBC, or MBC reserved types in Tamil Nadu.
- The annual income of your family must be less than INR 8 lakhs. It is impossible to classify someone with a yearly income of more than $85,000 as having a weaker economy (EWS).
- Your family should have access to no more than the area of 5 acres of productive land.
- If a member of your family or you own an apartment, it ought to be 1000 sq ft.
Advantages of EWS Quota
After having an understanding of the full form of EWS and the eligibility criteria, let us have a look at the advantages. Below are the advantages of EWS quota:
- Due to financial restrictions, members of the economically underprivileged sections of society continue to be denied admission to colleges and universities and employment by the government. The 10% quota is suitable and could help India address its income and educational inequality issues.
- The reserve requirements should be affordable because many people and classes outside of the weaker sections are hungry and poor.
- The proposed reservation would offer people from lower caste groups and other underprivileged groups constitutional status through an amendment to the constitution.
- With an EWS certificate, the General-Economically Weaker Section is entitled to a 10% reservation in government positions and higher education in India.
How do I Apply for EWS Reservations?
You can obtain the EWS certificate from your local government agency (Tehsil). To use the EWS reservation, a certificate known as an “Income and Assets Certificate” is necessary.
The government does not recommend using the internet to obtain an EWS certificate. Instead, it would help if you went to your local Tehsil or another local government agency. Moreover, to get the Income and Assets Certificate, you will need other documents such as an Aadhar Card, bank statements, a PAN card, a passport-size photo, and so on (downloadable from many government websites).
The designated government official will review your documents before issuing your EWS certificate. Only certificates issued by the organizations listed below will be accepted as proof that a candidate is eligible for the EWS category:
Deputy Commissioner, Executive Magistrate, Extra Assistant Commissioner, First Class Stipendiary Magistrate, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate, Taluka Magistrate, Chief Presidency Magistrate, Revenue Officer, Presidency Magistrate, not lower than the position of SDO, and Tehsildar of the zone in which the individual and his family typically reside.
Conclusion
This bill promotes increased employment opportunities and benefits by reserving 10% of appointments in educational institutions. In order to receive the EWS benefit, one must present an Income and Asset Certificate issued by a Competent Authority. Therefore, the only document that can support a candidate’s claim to be an EWS member is the Income and Asset Certificate that was issued by the appropriate authorities in the required format.
The quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) is the same across the country, but each state implements it differently. The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota has been adopted by Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Haryana, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Kerala. Hope this article has helped you understand the full form of EWS and its various facets about it.
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