LEGAL EASE - Dr. Ankit Todi
Q. I am a student and I want to undertake a technical course in a good college. I have heard of reservation in seats for the economically weaker section. I want to know who are eligible for such reservations and how can one get categorised under it?
– Tarun
Ans: The Government of India has introduced reservation for economically weaker sections amongst the unreserved category or general category candidates, by providing for ten per cent additional quota. This reservation has been provided both in educational institutions and government jobs, with the object of uplifting and promoting opportunities among the general category candidates who are considered as Economically Weaker Section (EWS) as per the reservation policy. This reservation does not cover candidates who belong to the other reservation categories, such as Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). General eligibility criteria for a candidate to be covered under the EWS are:
(i) One should be of a ‘general category’ (not covered under reserved categories of SC, ST or OBC);
(ii) The family’s gross annual income should be below eight lakh rupees (which includes income from all sources such as agriculture, salary, business, etc., for the financial year before one applies for the exam or job);
(iii) The family should not own agricultural land of size measuring five acres or more and a residential flat of 1,000 square feet or more;
(iv) The family should not own a residential plot (in notified municipalities) of 100 square yards or more;
(v) The family should not own a residential plot (other than in notified municipalities) of 200 square yards or more.
However, in respect to the State of Assam, the respective eligibilities are: Gross annual income below six lakh rupees; agricultural land of not more than 15 bighas; residential land of not more than one bigha (in rural area) and 1.5 katha (in notified Municipal Corporation/Board/Town Committee area); house having built-up area of not more than 1,000 square feet. The land or property owned by the family in different locations would be clubbed while checking the eligibility conditions for EWS reservation.
The term “family” for the purpose of the reservation policy includes the person who is seeking reservation, his/her parents, his/her siblings below the age of 18 years, his/her spouse, and children below the age of 18 years.
Those who meet the eligibility criteria need to obtain an ‘Income and Assets Certificate’ from the concerned District Authority, which will be accepted as proof of a candidate belonging to the EWS category. For applying before the concerned District Authority, one has to submit address proof, identity proof, salary slip or income statement, income certificate from local authority, land revenue payment receipt, Aadhar, voter list, Village Headman (Gaon Burha) Certificate, whichever is applicable.
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