Centre retains existing criteria for EWS reservation in All India Quota

The Central Government has told the Supreme Court that it will retain the existing criteria for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation in the All India Quota. This is on the basis of the recommendations made by the expert committee.

The expert committee recognizes that changing the EWS criteria midway will lead to complications. As such, it recommended the introduction of revised EWS criteria from the next academic year. The committee has recommended the retention of the annual income criteria of Rupees 8 lakhs but recommended the exclusion of family who has agricultural land of five acres and above, irrespective of income. However, the committee recommended the revisions to be applied from the next academic year.

The Central Government, in the affidavit dated December 31, 2021, told the Supreme Court that it has accepted the recommendations made by the expert committee. It has made candidates of those families whose annual income is up to Rs 8 lakh eligible for EWS reservation but excludes the candidate whose family has five acres of agricultural land and above from EWS irrespective of income.

The Solicitor General of India had submitted before the top court, on November 25, 2021, that the central government had decided to revisit the Rupees 8 lakh annual income limit set for determining the EWS, and would take fresh decision within four weeks by formulating a committee.

This came about after the Supreme Court made prima facie observations that the Rupees 8 lakh income limit for EWS was arbitrary. Justice Chandrachud-led bench pointed out that applying the same income limit uniformly across the country would be arbitrary. The bench questioned the basis for adopting the same income limit for OBC-creamy layer for EWS as well.

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As such, the Centre said that counselling for NEET-PG admissions will not commence when the quota issue was pending adjudication. Due to the delay in NEET-PG counselling, resident doctors across the country had staged protests. The expert committee highlighted that disturbing the existing system, which is on going since 2019, at the fag end would create more complications.