Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Unchanged: On EWS quota income norm

Unchanged: On EWS quota income norm

After much loss of time, SC allows EWS quota income norm (आदर्श, मानक, परंपरा) to stay for this year

It is a matter of considerable (विचारणीय, पर्याप्त, बड़ा, महत्वपूर्ण) relief (राहत, आश्वासन, सांत्वना) that the Supreme Court has allowed the commencement (प्रारम्भ, आरम्भ, शुरुआत) of counselling for post-graduate medical admissions under the all-India quota (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) at a time when the long delay has caused a shortage (अभाव, कमी) of junior residents in the midst of (के बीच में) an ongoing (चलता हुआ) public health (सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य, स्वास्थ्यरक्षा) crisis. The Court’s decision to uphold (बनाए रखना, पुष्टि, समर्थन) the 27% quota for OBCs, with reasons to be adduced (प्रस्तुत करना, उपस्थित करना) later, has also helped the cause (aim, objective, purpose; reason, grounds, justification, necessity) of giving a push to the admission process, which was put on hold (postpone, put off, delay, put off, defer, pass, suspend (an activity)) months ago. It is somewhat disappointing that despite several hearings (सुनवाई, कार्यवाही, परीक्षण) and the deployment (तैनाती) of an expert committee (विशेषज्ञ समिति), the controversial criteria for the 10% Economically Weaker Sections (आर्थिक रूप से कमजोर वर्ग) (EWS) remain unchanged for admission for 2021-22. As early as October 25, the Union government offered to put on hold the admission process during the pendency (the condition/period of waiting for settlement) of the challenge (objection, opposition, dispute) to the introduction of the OBC and EWS quotas by a July 29, 2021 notification. A month later, it informed the Court that it wanted to revisit (consider something again from a different point of view); reconsider, review) the criteria for EWS. It was in response to the Court’s questions about the rationale (reason, logic, grounds, basis) of keeping the annual income criterion (basis, standard, norm, specification (criteria is the plural form of criterion)) for the EWS quota at ₹8 lakh, the same income ceiling (upper limit, maximum, highest permissible level) for those belonging to (be associated with, be connected to, be linked to) the OBC category to be eligible for reservation (a system of affirmative action in India that provides historically disadvantaged groups representation in education, employment, and politics) benefits. The time taken by the committee to reconsider the criteria and submit a report seems to have been in vain (unsuccessfully, without success, with no result), as it has returned a recommendation that the existing norms be retained for the current year’s admissions.

The Bench (a court of law with a number of judges), taking into account the fact that the admission process cannot be further delayed, has chosen to allow the admission to proceed based on (use as a basis; found, build, construct, form, establish) the norms spelt out in the July notification. However, the validity of the expert panel’s recommendations will be decided when the Court takes up (pursue) the matter in March. It makes one wonder why the Government postponed the counselling and took more than a month to get a panel to revisit the criteria, if it was ultimately (eventually, in the end, finally) going to press for the current year’s admission to be allowed without any change. The Court, on its part, felt compelled to defer to (yield, submit, give way, give in, surrender, accede) the Government on this point, considering the urgency of the situation, as the alternative was staying (stop, delay, postpone, prevent, suspend something, particularly judicial proceeding) the EWS quota for this year’s admission. Its original point — that there cannot be a common income limit for those coming from a background (social/family circumstance) of social and educational backwardness (the condition/state of not developed) and those who are members of privileged classes, but with inadequate economic means (money, resources, income, finance, funds) — still stands (remain (the same)). The outcome is that this year’s batch may suffer from ‘over-inclusion (an action of including more than is necessary/advisable)’ if the norms are revised downwards from next year onwards. While the norms for EWS quota may get tweaked (adjust, modify, alter, change) over time, the question whether there ought to be any reservation for the advanced classes solely (only, simply, merely) on the ground that they have insufficient means is still before the 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)). An early decision will be most welcome.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.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.

2.norm (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आदर्श, मानक, परंपरा
English Meaning - standard, convention, rule, criterion.

3.considerable (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विचारणीय, पर्याप्त, बड़ा, महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - substantial, sizable, significant; much, a lot of, lots of.

4.relief (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राहत, आश्वासन, सांत्वना
English Meaning - reassurance, consolation, comfort, solace, calmness, relaxation.

5.commencement (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रारम्भ, आरम्भ, शुरुआत
English Meaning - beginning, start, initiation.

6.shortage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभाव, कमी
English Meaning - shortfall, deficiency, insufficiency.

7.in the midst of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के बीच में
English Meaning - in the middle of.

8.ongoing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चलता हुआ
English Meaning - continuing, unending, unceasing, endless, never-ending, relentless.

9.public health (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य, स्वास्थ्यरक्षा
English Meaning - the branch of medicine handling public health; public health is also the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention.

10.uphold (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बनाए रखना, पुष्टि, समर्थन
English Meaning - confirm, endorse/approve, vindicate/validate; continue, preserve, protect.

11.Other Backward Class (OBC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अन्य पिछड़ा वर्ग
English Meaning - In the Indian Constitution, OBCs are described as socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC), and the Government of India is enjoined to ensure their social and educational development.

12.adduce (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तुत करना, उपस्थित करना
English Meaning - cite/mention, specify, identify, give, point out; put forward, bring forward, present, come up with.

13.hearing (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सुनवाई, कार्यवाही, परीक्षण
English Meaning - (legal) proceedings, trial, inquiry.

14.deployment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तैनाती
English Meaning - the bringing of resources into effective action.

15.expert committee (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विशेषज्ञ समिति
English Meaning - the highest official advisory body; (expert) group, advisory group, team, body, committee, jury, council, board, commission.

16.junior resident (noun)

English Meaning - Junior resident is a junior doctor who has completed MBBS and now pursuing post-graduation degree.

17.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.

18.cause (noun)

English Meaning - aim, objective, purpose; reason, grounds, justification, necessity.

19.on hold (phrase)

English Meaning - postpone, put off, delay, put off, defer, pass, suspend (an activity).

20.criterion (noun)

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

21.pendency (noun)

English Meaning - the condition/period of waiting for settlement.

22.challenge (noun)

English Meaning - objection, opposition, dispute.

23.revisit (verb)

English Meaning - consider something again from a different point of view); reconsider, review.

24.rationale (noun)

English Meaning - reason, logic, grounds, basis.

25.ceiling (noun)

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

26.belong to (verb)

English Meaning - be associated with, be connected to, be linked to.

27.reservation (noun)

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

28.in vain (phrase)

English Meaning - unsuccessfully, without success, with no result.

29.bench (noun)

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

30.take into account (phrase)

English Meaning - consider, take into consideration, have regard to, reckon with.

31.base on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - use as a basis; found, build, construct, form, establish.

32.spell out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - explain, make clear, elucidate/clarify (in detail).

33.take up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - pursue (a matter later).

34.ultimately (adverb)

English Meaning - eventually, in the end, finally.

35.on one’s part (phrase)

English Meaning - by, from, in, of; carried out by, caused by.

36.defer to (verb)

English Meaning - yield, submit, give way, give in, surrender, accede.

37.stay (verb)

English Meaning - stop, delay, postpone, prevent, suspend something, particularly judicial proceedings.

38.background (noun)

English Meaning - social/family circumstances

39.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).

40.backwardness (noun)

English Meaning - the condition/state of not developed.

41.privileged (adjective)

English Meaning - wealthy, rich, affluent; having special rights.

42.means (noun)

English Meaning - money, resources, income, finance, funds.

43.stand (verb)

English Meaning - remain (the same).

44.over-inclusion (noun)

English Meaning - an action of including more than is necessary/advisable.

45.tweak (verb)

English Meaning - adjust, modify, alter, change.