35 percent of the general category landless, 58 million BPL; Government bid in SC on EWS quota
These days a vigorous debate is going on in the Supreme Court on the petitions challenging the 10% EWS quota given to the economically weaker sections. On one hand, the petitions challenging this reservation have said that this system is against the Constitution itself. At the same time, the government has said in the court that there is no mention anywhere in the constitution that the basis of reservation cannot be economic. Not only this, while replying on Wednesday in this regard, Attorney General KK Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the 103rd amendment to the Constitution for this quota is completely correct.
He said that this amendment has been made under Article 46 of the Constitution itself, in which it has been said that the government should take steps for the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people. Not only this, senior lawyers, representing the government, said that the people of SC, ST and OBC category should not face any problem with the EWS quota. This will not affect them as their quota will remain the same. He said that 10 per cent quota has been given for the economically weaker sections out of the 50 per cent which are for unreserved seats.
According to the report of the Times of India, during this period, the government gave big data and said that 58 million people of the general category are below the poverty line in the country. Apart from this, there are 35 percent people of the general category, who are landless and this quota is for them only. He said that many children from the communities falling in the general category have to work in the fields and factories. The reason for this is that due to poverty they cannot go to school and the government is bound to help them. The Solicitor General said that keeping in mind the aspirations of the poverty people, the government has brought it. In this case only the test should be done whether it violates the basic spirit of the Constitution or not.
