MP considers expanding the base for EWS quota for upper castes

The development is interesting considering the fact that the state ruled by the Congress was slow to implement the 10% reservation for the upper castes poor. It issued the order in the last week of June in 2018, almost six months after the constitutional amendment to the effect by the BJP led Central government.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday has decided in principle to broaden the base for reservation in government jobs and educational institution under the 10 per cent quota for the poor among the upper castes, also known as the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota, by removing all other criteria for eligibility except the family-income threshold of Rs 8 lakh per annum.

Kamal Nath government is considering proposal to expand the ambit of quota for the poor among the upper castes. (HT Photo/File)

The changes if passed by the state cabinet, will not only make it easier to apply for the EWS quota, but also end up including several more candidates in its ambit, who earlier did not qualify due to specified ceiling slabs for owning farmland and houses.

The development is interesting considering the fact that the state ruled by the Congress was slow to implement the 10% reservation for the upper castes poor. It issued the order in the last week of June in 2018, almost six months after the constitutional amendment to the effect by the BJP led Central government.

The Central government cleared legislation stipulates that to avail the benefit of EWS reservation, a candidate’s family’s annual income should be less than Rs 8 lakh annually and the agriculture land owned should be less than 5 acre. It also adds another rider that the applicant’s family-owned flat/house should be built on less than 1200 square feet in a municipal corporation area; less than 1500 square feet, if in a municipality area and less than 1800 square feet, if in a panchayat area.

Minister for general administration department (GAD) Govind Singh said it was being done to do away with the complications of paperwork required to claim the benefit.

“We observed that the candidates were facing a lot of hassles in getting separate certificates for separate criteria. Hence, we decided to do away with all the conditions except the annual income of the family,” Singh said.

A proposal has been sent by the department to the chief minister’s secretariat and a formal decision on the same is expected soon, he added.