Gujarat is the first state to implement newly-introduced 10 % reservations in government jobs as well as higher education for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in the general category. Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani on 13th January announced that his government has decided to implement the reservation from today i.e. 14th January 2019
The decision will apply only to current recruitment processes in which only advertisements were published. The first stage of examination is yet to be held.
On 12th January, President of India, Ram Nath Kovind had cleared the landmark bill passed by the parliament, which will provide 10 % reservation in government jobs as well as college seats for candidates outside high income brackets.
People who earn less than 8 lakh rupees in a year and possess less than 5 acre land from the segment of people who do not qualify any assenting action are eligible for the quota.
Jobs have already been reserved for the under-privileged as well as disadvantaged lower castes people. The criterion for economic quota will remain same as that for the Other Backward Castes / OBCs.
Prakash Javadekar, Union HRD Minister said that this was a step towards social justice adding that a number of seats will be there in higher education institutions under the new category from the upcoming academic session.
The government had introduced the bill amid criticism by the opposition parties who said the move was a pre-election attention-grabber amid high unemployment.
In 2016, the High Court in Gujarat had discarded a state government ordinance offering members of the EWS from unreserved category 10 % reservation in government jobs as well as educational institutions.
The court heard petitions challenging the decree that allowed 10 percent reservation to applicants belonging to the unreserved category with family income limit of Rs. 6 lakh / year.
