{"id":3930,"date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/09-09-2022\/reviewing-ews-quota\/"},"modified":"2022-09-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T00:00:00","slug":"reviewing-ews-quota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/09-09-2022\/reviewing-ews-quota","title":{"rendered":"Reviewing EWS Quota"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is examining whether the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> violates the basic structure of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>More about the News<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Petition:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The Bench of the Supreme Court, hearing petitions <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>against the 10 percent quota<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> for Economically Weaker Sections <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>(EWS) in government jobs and admissions<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, will examine whether the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">, by which it was introduced,<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> violates the basic structure <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Supreme Court has fixed<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> three key questions <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">for examining EWS quota:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Provisions based on economic criteria:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Whether the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>103rd Constitution amendment <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">can be said to breach the<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> basic structure of the Constitution<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> by <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>permitting the State <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">to make special provisions, including <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>reservation, based on economic criteria<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Provisions regarding private unaided institutions:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Whether it can be said to breach the basic structure of the Constitution by permitting the State to make <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>special provisions<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> in relation to<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> admission to private unaided institutions<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Exclusion of SEBCs:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Whether it can be said to breach the basic structure of the Constitution in <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>excluding the SEBCs<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes)\/OBCs (Other Backward Classes)\/SCs (Scheduled Castes)\/STs (Scheduled Tribes) <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>from the scope of EWS reservation.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Creamy layer in EWS:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The question of creamy layer does not come in the economically weaker sections (EWS) quota according to SC, as it was meant to give quota benefits to the poorest of the poor.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; width:667px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color:#ffe599; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; border-left:1px solid #000000; border-right:1px solid #000000; border-top:1px solid #000000; vertical-align:top; width:667px\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>103rd Amendment Act<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">About:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The Parliament amended<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> the Constitution of India (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019 <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">to provide for a<\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong> 10% reservation in education and government jobs<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> in India for a section of the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>General category candidates<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Introduction of Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6):<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The amendment introduced economic reservation by amending Articles 15 and 16. It inserted Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6) in the Constitution to allow reservation for the economically backward in the unreserved category.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Article 15(6):\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Up to 10% of seats may be reserved for EWS for admission in educational institutions. Such reservations will not apply to minority educational institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:square\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Article 16(6):\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It permits the government to reserve up to 10% of all government posts for the EWS.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>State\u2019s prerogative:<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The Central government has argued that it was every State government\u2019s, in the country, prerogative to provide 10% economic reservation in State government jobs and admissions in State-run educational institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Whether or not to provide reservation to the economically weaker section (EWS) of the society for appointment in State government jobs and for admission to State government educational institutions, as per provisions of the newly inserted Articles 15(6) and 16(6) of the Constitution is to be decided by the State government concerned.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Arguments favouring EWS Quota<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Benefits of reservation:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Government said it would not let anything come in the way of Other Backward Classes (OBC) and \u201cpoorest of the poor\u201d getting the benefits of reservation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The quota is progressive:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The economically weaker sections have not reaped the benefits of higher educational institutions and public employment due to their financial incapacity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The quota is progressive and could address the issues of educational and income inequality in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Abysmal conditions:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The reservation criteria should be economic because there are many classes other than backward classes who are living under abysmal conditions but cannot avail reservation and its intended benefits.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Ram Singh v. Union of India (2015):\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">In this case, SC asserted that social deficiencies may exist beyond the concept of caste (e.g. economic status\/gender identity as in transgenders).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The \u201cquota-for-poor\u201d policy:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">This policy is symptomatic of a larger failure.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">It replaces the principle that welfare should be the basic raison d\u2019\u00eatre of public policy, it hides the colossal failure of the state in handling questions of poverty and deprivation and, at the same time, it indicates a dead-end in policy-making itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Arguments against EWS Quota<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Reservation based on economic criteria:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Reservation based entirely on economic criteria is not an all-in-one solution, though family income can be one of the parameters.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Determining economic backwardness:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Determining economic backwardness is a\u00a0 major challenge as there are concerns regarding the inclusion and exclusion of persons under the criteria.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Equality of opportunity:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">In M. Nagaraj v. Union of India (2006), a Constitution Bench ruled that equality is part of the basic structure of the Constitution.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The 50 per cent ceiling is a constitutional requirement without which the structure of equality of opportunity would collapse.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Financial burden:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">The implementation of the quota is a challenge in itself as the states do not have the finances to enforce even the present and constitutionally mandated reservations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Other:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\">It washes away the constitutionally permitted gatekeeping mechanism of social and educational backwardness and makes <\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">reservation available to everyone irrespective of social backwardness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:circle\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">Reservation has also become synonymous with anti-merit, with the extension of reservation, this opinion might get further ingrained in the public psyche.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" style=\"border-collapse:collapse; border:none; width:573px\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"background-color:#fce5cd; border-bottom:1px solid #000000; border-left:1px solid #000000; border-right:1px solid #000000; border-top:1px solid #000000; vertical-align:top; width:573px\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Related Provisions in the Constitution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Article 16(1) and 16(2)<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> assure citizens equality of opportunity in employment or appointment to any government office.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Article 15(1) <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">generally prohibits any discrimination against any citizen on the grounds of religion, caste, sex or place of birth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Articles 15(4) and 16(4) <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\">state that the equality provisions do not prevent the government from making special provisions in matters of admission to educational institutions or jobs in favour of backward classes, particularly the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type:disc\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"><strong>Article 16(4A)<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-size:12pt\"> allows reservations to SCs and STs in promotions, as long as the government believes that they are not adequately represented in government services.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/ews-quota-supreme-court-finalises-three-cardinal-issues-to-examine-whether-it-violates-basic-structure\/article65865309.ece\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:13pt\"><span style=\"font-family:\"Book Antiqua\",serif\"><span style=\"color:#1155cc\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In News A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is examining whether the 10% quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) violates the basic structure of the Constitution. More about the News Petition: The Bench of the Supreme Court, hearing petitions against the 10 percent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs and admissions, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,79,78,77],"class_list":["post-3930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs-2","tag-institutions-bodies-for-protection-betterment-of-these-sections","tag-laws","tag-mechanisms"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/7851453Screenshot_20220909-213028_Files.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}