Munmun Kaur
Published On: December 29, 2021 at 10:27 IST
The three-member committee, appointed by the Government on November 30, to review the 10% reservation criteria for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in Government jobs and educational institutions has finalized a 90-page report. It is all set to submit the report along with the Government’s affidavit in Supreme Court, this week.
The committee was formed following the Apex Court’s intervention which is hearing petitions challenging the Government’s notice, issued in July, providing 10% EWS quota in NEET admissions. The members of the committee are former finance secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Indian Council of Social Science Research member secretary Prof VK Malhotra and principal economic advisor to the Government of India Sanjeev Sanyal.
According to sources, the committee hasn’t recommended any changes in the income limit of 8 Lakh per annum for general classes to tap into the 10% EWS reservation and has provided justification for the same. The committee has apparently, studied the Major General SR Sinho Commission Report too. This report formed the basis of the amendment to introduce the EWS quota in the first place.
Earlier, the Supreme Court has questioned the similar income limit of 8 Lakhs per annum for both Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the general classes for tapping into the EWS reservation. The Court further asked if it was an attempt to make unequals equals. The Government has offered to re-examine the issue to ensure that the EWS quota isn’t struck down.
As per the sources, the committee has even come up with a formula for automatic revision of annual income for the EWS quota.