Economically Weaker Section

[4] On 7 January 2019, Union Council of Ministers approved a 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in the unreserved category.

[6] On 8 January 2019, The Constitution (One Hundred and Third amendment) Bill, 2019 was tabled in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India and it was passed on the same day.

[8] On 25 January 2019, the Supreme Court refused to stay the 10% reservation given to GEN-EWS category in government jobs and educational institutions.

55 OF 2019, upheld the validity of the 103rd constitutional amendment carried out to provide legal sanction carve out 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections from unreserved classes for admission in educational institutions and government jobs and held that the 50% cap on quota is not inviolable and affirmative action on economic basis may go a long way in eradicating caste-based reservation.

[14] EWS certificate can be used to avail the 10% reservation for the GEN-Economically Weaker Section[13] in higher education all over the India[17] and government jobs.

On October 21, 2019, the Kerala Cabinet decided to amend the State and Subordinate Service Rules and implement the EWS scheme.

A panel headed by the retired judge, KS Sasidharan Nair, was appointed by the government to set the criteria for EWS in the state.

In June 2021, the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra announced that the Maratha Community can now avail of benefits under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota.