Gujarat declares 10% quota for EWS from Monday

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat government on Sunday became the first state in the country to announce that it would implement the 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) of the general category in government jobs and higher education from January 14 - Makar Sankranti Day.

Chief minister Vijay Rupani tweeted, "Government of Gujarat has decided to implement the 10% EWS reservation benefits from January 14." A government circular detailing income criteria of beneficiaries and other parameters of implementation of the quota is yet to be issued.



On Sunday evening, soon after Rupani's announcement, Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) chairman Dinesh Dasa tweeted, "GPSC would procrastinate all the preliminary exams to be held on 20th January, 2019, and thereafter in the wake of implementation of EWS reservation. GPSC will release further details from time to time." GPSC is waiting for a fresh notification on the new 10% quota from the government.

Rupani added that the 10% quota would be implemented in all ongoing recruitment processes where only advertisement had been published but first stage of examination was yet to be held. In such a case, a government press release later added, the ongoing process would be suspended and a fresh process would begin after incorporating the 10% additional quota.

But the quota would not be applicable in cases where the process of recruitment -- like written, oral, computer proficiency or preliminary tests -- had begun before January 14. Gujarat is the first state to make an announcement after President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday gave his assent to the Constitutional provision guaranteeing 10% quota for the EWS.

‘State govts to make special provision’

The Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday last week and the Rajya Sabha a day later guaranteeing 10% quota for the EWS in education and employment in the general category.

“The 10% quota for the economically weaker classes from the general category will be over and above the existing 49% quota for SC/ST/SEBC,” the state government press release said. The Act amended Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution, by adding a clause that now allows state governments to make “special provision for the advancement of any economically weaker sections of citizens.”