Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Questionable criterion: On EWS quota income limit

Questionable criterion: On EWS quota income limit

The SC is right in asking for (पूछना, माँगना) basis (आधार, कारण, औचित्य) on which Centre fixed income limit for EWS quota

The questions raised by the Supreme Court of India about the criteria for identifying the ‘Economically Weaker Sections (आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्ग)’ (EWS) for the purpose of granting reservation (आरक्षण) are quite apposite (उचित, उपयुक्त). Faced with sharp questions that it could not answer satisfactorily, the Union government has obtained (प्राप्त करना, मिलना) time to reconsider the criteria, especially the income norm that only those from a family with annual income less than ₹8 lakh can avail (लाभ उठाना, उपयोग करें) of the 10% reservation earmarked (आरक्षित करना, अलग करना, नियत करना) for the EWS category. It is now a settled principle that quantifiable (मात्रात्मक) data or proof of a detailed study are required to justify any category of reservation, as well as (and also, and in addition) the norms (standard, convention, rule, rules of conduct) that determine which section gets it and which does not. In this backdrop (पृष्ठभूमि, स्थिति, परिदृश्य), it is logical (तर्कसंगत, समझने योग्य, उचित) that the Court would want to know whether there was any study before the Centre prescribed (निर्धारित करना, निर्दिष्ट करना, थोपना) the norms for identifying EWS beneficiaries (लाभार्थी, प्राप्तकर्ता) based on indicators of economic disadvantage. The enquiry by the three-judge Bench (a court of law with a number of judges) is necessarily (आवश्यक रूप से, अनिवार्य रूप से, निश्चित रूप से) circumscribed (restrict, limit; regulate) by the fact that the validity of the 103rd Constitution Amendment, through which the EWS quota was introduced in 2019, is before a Constitution Bench (a bench of the Supreme Court having five or more judges on it. These benches are not a routine phenomenon. Constitution Benches are exceptions, set up only if some circumstances exist)). In the ongoing proceedings (legal action, legal proceedings, judicial proceedings, litigation), the Bench is considering the validity of the 27% quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and 10% for Economically Weaker Sections introduced for admission to the All-India Quota (AIQ) (The All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme was introduced in 1986 under the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to provide for domicile-free merit based opportunities to students from any State to aspire to study in a good medical college located in another State. All India Quota consists of 15% of total available UG seats and 50% of total available PG seats in government medical colleges. Initially, there was no reservation in AIQ Scheme up to 2007. In 2007, the Hon’ble Supreme Court introduced reservation of 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs in the AIQ Scheme) of seats in medical admissions throughout the country. It has clarified that it is not examining any policy issue, but wants to determine if constitutional (legal, lawful, legitimate) requirements have been complied with.

The income criterion (मानदण्ड, लक्षण, जांच) is undoubtedly an anomalous (abnormal, irregular, peculiar, exceptional, unusual) aspect of the EWS quota. An annual income of ₹8 lakh is the limit beyond which an OBC family would fall (come under) under the ‘creamy layer (income ceiling for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation under which children of persons having a gross annual income of Rs 8 lakh or above for a period of three consecutive years would fall under the creamy layer category and would not be entitled to the benefit of reservation available to Other Backward Classes (OBC))’ and will be denied reservation. The same income figure is being used as the ceiling (upper limit, maximum, highest permissible level) for identifying EWS. The moot (debatable, doubtful, arguable, disputable, problematic) question is whether those who do not face the impediments (obstacle, barrier, obstruction, hindrance) that come with social and educational backwardness (the condition/state of not developed) can be equated with (regard as the same as) those who do. However, the current proceeding will only decide the validity of OBC and EWS reservation in admissions under the AIQ. It must be noted that the introduction of OBC quota in AIQ only brings the admission norms in line with (in alignment with, in accordance with, conforming to) prevailing (existing; current, present) policy. OBC reservation is applicable to admissions done separately by the Union and State governments in their respective medical institutions, but it was not implemented all these years for all-India quota seats. This pool (group) is formed by the surrender of 15% of undergraduate seats and 50% of PG seats by the States. The absence (non-existence, lack, unavailability) of OBC quota in this category was an anomaly (something different, abnormal, unusual; oddity, peculiarity, deviation, aberration, exception) that has now been rectified. The larger issue that remains is whether reservation can be treated as a poverty alleviation measure (action, step, procedure) and those not well-off but belonging to (be associated with, be connected to, be linked to) socially advanced communities can be given a share of the reservation pie (a whole thing that can be shared). The Constitution Bench should resolve this question early.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.criterion (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मानदण्ड, लक्षण, जांच
English Meaning - basis, standard, norm, specification (criteria is the plural form of criterion).

2.Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)(noun)

Hindi Meaning - आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्ग
English Meaning - Economically Weaker Section (EWS) or Economically Backward Classes (EBC) in India is a subcategory of people belonging to the General Category having an annual family income less than ₹8 lakh and who do not belong to any category such as SC/ST/OBC across India, nor to MBC in Tamil Nadu.

3.ask for (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - पूछना, माँगना
English Meaning - request, demand, call for.

4.basis (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आधार, कारण, औचित्य
English Meaning - reason, grounds, justification, rationalization, motive.

5.reservation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षण
English Meaning - a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics.

6.apposite (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उचित, उपयुक्त
English Meaning - appropriate, suitable, apt, befitting.

7.obtain (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्राप्त करना, मिलना
English Meaning - be given.

8.avail (verb)

Hindi Meaning - लाभ उठाना, उपयोग करें
English Meaning - use, utilize, take advantage of (an opportunity/resources).

9.earmark (verb)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षित करना, अलग करना, नियत करना
English Meaning - set aside, set apart, reserve, designate (for a particular purpose).

10.quantifiable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मात्रात्मक
English Meaning - measurable (as quantity).

11.backdrop (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पृष्ठभूमि, स्थिति, परिदृश्य
English Meaning - situation, scenario, context.

12.logical (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - तर्कसंगत, समझने योग्य, उचित
English Meaning - understandable, reasonable, sensible.

13.beneficiary (noun)

Hindi Meaning - लाभार्थी, प्राप्तकर्ता
English Meaning - recipient, receiver.

14.indicator (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सूचक, माप, माप
English Meaning - measure, index; standard, guideline, criterion.

15.necessarily (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - आवश्यक रूप से, अनिवार्य रूप से, निश्चित रूप से
English Meaning - inevitably, certainly, surely.

16.prescribe (verb)

English Meaning - stipulate, lay down, specify, impose, set down, determine, pronounce.

17.quantifiable data (noun)

English Meaning - the type of data whose value is measured in the form of numbers or counts, with a unique numerical value associated with each data set. Also known as numerical data, quantitative data further describes numeric variables (e.g. How many? How often? How much?) This data type can also be defined as a group of quantifiable information that can be used for mathematical computations and statistical analysis which informs real-life decisions.

18.as well as (phrase)

English Meaning - and also, and in addition.

19.norm (noun)

English Meaning - standard, convention, rule, rules of conduct.

20.bench (noun)

English Meaning - a court of law with a number of judges.

21.circumscribe (verb)

English Meaning - restrict, limit; regulate.

22.103rd Constitution Amendment Act, 2019 (noun)

English Meaning - it introduces 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of society for admission to Central Government-run educational institutions and private educational institutions (except for minority educational institutions), and for employment in Central Government jobs.

23.Constitution Bench (noun)

English Meaning - a bench of the Supreme Court having five or more judges on it. These benches are not a routine phenomenon. Constitution Benches are exceptions, set up only if some circumstances exist).

24.proceedings (noun)

English Meaning - legal action, legal proceedings, judicial proceedings, litigation.

25.All-India Quota (AIQ) (noun)

English Meaning - The All India Quota (AIQ) Scheme was introduced in 1986 under the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court to provide for domicile-free merit based opportunities to students from any State to aspire to study in a good medical college located in another State. All India Quota consists of 15% of total available UG seats and 50% of total available PG seats in government medical colleges. Initially, there was no reservation in AIQ Scheme up to 2007. In 2007, the Hon’ble Supreme Court introduced reservation of 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs in the AIQ Scheme.

26.constitutional (adjective)

English Meaning - legal, lawful, legitimate.

27.comply with (verb)

English Meaning - abide by, adhere to, conform to, follow.

28.anomalous (adjective)

English Meaning - abnormal, irregular, peculiar, exceptional, unusual.

29.fall (under) (verb)

English Meaning - come under.

30.creamy layer (noun)

English Meaning - income ceiling for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation under which children of persons having a gross annual income of Rs 8 lakh or above for a period of three consecutive years would fall under the creamy layer category and would not be entitled to the benefit of reservation available to Other Backward Classes (OBC).

31.ceiling (noun)

English Meaning - upper limit, maximum, highest permissible level.

32.moot (adjective)

English Meaning - debatable, doubtful, arguable, disputable, problematic.

33.impediment (noun)

English Meaning - obstacle, barrier, obstruction, hindrance.

34.backwardness (noun)

English Meaning - the condition/state of not developed.

35.equate with (verb)

English Meaning - regard as the same as.

36.in line with (phrase)

English Meaning - in alignment with, in accordance with, conforming to.