EWS RESERVATION (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Polity)

Context: The Supreme Court has upheld a Bombay High Court order that nullified a Maharashtra government notification exempting private schools within one kilometer of a government or aided school from reserving 25% of pre-primary seats for underprivileged students under the Right to Education Act.

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Reservation:

• About: The 10% EWS quota was introduced under the 103rd Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2019 by amending Articles 15 and 16.
• Constitutional Amendments: It inserted Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6) into the Indian Constitution.
• Purpose: It provides economic reservation in jobs and educational admissions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
• Objective and Target Group: Enacted to support the welfare of the poor not covered by the existing 50% reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC).
• Scope: Allows both the Central and State governments to offer reservations to the EWS.
• Significance: The 10% quota aims to address educational and income inequality, helping economically weaker citizens gain access to higher education and public employment opportunities.
• Supreme Court on EWS quota: In Janhit Abhiyan v Union of India, SC by 3:2 majority upheld the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing EWS reservation. With this, the Court extended the net of reservation benefits to include solely economic backwardness.
• Current reservation in India: ST - 7.5%, SC - 15% OBC - 27%, EWS - 10%