Modi Cabinet Approves Bill For Implementation Of 10 Per Cent EWS Reservation In Jammu And Kashmir

The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Wednesday (31 July) approved a bill for the implementation of the 10 per cent economically weaker section (EWS) quota in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, reports LiveMint.

In a statement, the Union Cabinet said that the bill "would pave way of extending the benefit of reservation of up to 10 per cent for 'economically weaker sections (EWS)' in educational institutions and public employment alongside existing reservations".

The move comes even as the Supreme Court has reserved its order on whether the EWS quota law be sent to a larger constitutional bench to weigh its validity.

As per the submission made by Attorney General KK Venugopal to a SC bench headed by Justice SS Bobde, the EWS law granting 10 per cent reservation aims to uplift around 200 million people of the country.

The bench, also comprising of Justices R Subhash Reddy and BR Gavai, was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the validity of the Act on the ground that economic criteria cannot be the sole ground for providing reservation.