Retain ₹8 lakh EWS cap for admissions, suggests panel

Will Tweak Other Criteria Next Year: Govt To SC

Will Tweak Other Criteria Next Year: 

Govt To  SC

Dhananjay.Mahapaatra@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:03.01.2022

The committee set up to evaluate the ₹8 lakh income limit for economically weaker section candidates in admissions to educational institutions recommended retention of the qualifying mark and the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it accepts the reasoning. This development may set in motion the resumption of the counselling process for the NEET-PG seats that is currently held up.

The Centre on Sunday told the Supreme Court that it would stick to the ₹8 lakh annual income limit criteria that entitles EWS candidates to a 10% reservation in ad- missions to educational institutions, including medical colleges, and government jobs, but promised to tweak other EWS-related criteria a bit from next year.

The committee advised implementation of its recommendations from next year, which would mean the EWS quota admissions for medical admissions for the present academic year, which is yet to be completed, would be on the basis of the 2019 criteria. “The existing system, which is going on since 2019, if disturbed at the end or fag-end of the process would create more complications than expected both for the beneficiaries as well as for the authorities,” the committee said. › Family income,

Centre’s defence a double-edged sword

The Centre’s defence against lowering ₹8 lakh income cap may spark cheers among the upper caste but may adversely affect its moves on OBC ‘creamy layer’. The ministry of social justice has showed the contrast between the ₹8 lakh for EWS and the same limit as OBC creamy layer cap, and arguing that the former is much more strict. P 10