10% Reservation for General Category: Know Everything about Reservation in UPSC

Resources should be divided equally everywhere, be it fuel or food. It becomes the government’s responsibility to provide important incentives so every citizen gets an equal opportunity to represent and avail resources and supplies. Following which, Cabinet approved a 10% reservation for general category through the 124th Constitution Bill of 2019.

What is 10% Reservation All About?

This bill has provided a huge relief to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of the society. This relief is about job opportunities and admission in the major educational institutes for the people who come under the economically weaker sections.

Even though the Central Government released this bill, the State Government has its say in the ultimate income cut-off to decide which section is eligible for this reservation. However, follow the Central Government’s income cut-off for IAS and jobs.

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Who is Eligible to Claim a 10% EWS Reservation Quota?

This class-based division quota for economically weaker sections provides opportunities to all those citizens out there, who are always left behind in some way or other due to financial crunches and problems. However, to avail or to be eligible for this grant, you and your family must fulfil the following given conditions -.

Conditions

1. Candidate must be from a General/Open category of society (Rajputs, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, etc.
2. Candidates belonging from SC, ST, or OBCs category are not covered or included in this scheme.
3. The annual household income should be below Rs 8 lakhs.
4. If owning any agricultural land, then it must be below 5 acres.
5. If having a residential house, then it must be below 1000 sq. ft.
6. If residing in a notified municipality residential, then the plot should be below 100 sq. yards.
7. If living in a non-notified municipality area, then the residential plot should be below 200 sq. yards.
8. These terms and conditions apply to you and your whole family, including parents, siblings, spouse, and children (below the age of eighteen).
9. Do note that there is no relief or change in the number of attempts and the upper age limit to sit for the exams.

How to Apply for 10% Reservation for the General Category?

This certificate is to be submitted by those candidates who are clearing their Prelims. To register for the 10% reservation under an economically weaker section, you need to fill in a certificate known as Income and Assets. As this procedure is not online, you need to do the paperwork by approaching authority at the local government or Tehsil.

Paperwork Required

To answer the question on how to apply for general category reservation? You should keep all the relevant documents together with various attested copies. Ensure it’s legitimate and up to date because you might get cross-checked for the same during an interview session.

Documents Required

1. Attested recent passport size photograph of the candidate.
2. Take original and copies of Aadhar card, PAN card, and Bank statement.
3. Get a print out of the Income and Assets Certificate.
4. Only the below posts are held accountable to verify your documents:

– Magistrate ( district, additional district, sub-divisional, taluka, executive, the presidency

– Revenue Officer (should have the rank above the tehsildar)

– Sub-divisional officer of the candidate’s area where they reside.

– Commissioner (Deputy, Additional Deputy, Assistant)

5. Make sure your Income and Assets certificate is dated earlier than the coming due date of your examination.
6. Take care of the fact that this certificate is eligible for only one year, so you might need to produce a new one after a year.
7. For the Mains phase of UPSC, you will need to fill up the detailed application form online where you will have to upload all the copies of scanned documents, including the EWS certificate.
8. Once the documents are submitted, no changes are entertained later. Hence, take care of the same and fill forms carefully.

The difference in the Making

India accounts for over 49.5% of reservations and now includes the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) criteria of an additional ten per cent, increasing it to 59.5% of reservations. This gives a 40.5 per cent chance to the applicants, who don’t belong to the reserved categories.

This brings in newer opportunities for the underprivileged categories do not have access to such resources and are unable to prepare well. The aspirants who miss out due to heavy financial crunch can make the most of this 10% EWS registration for general category.

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