Will review Rs 8 lakh annual income criteria for EWS in NEET reservation : Centre tells SC

Centre on Thursday informed Supreme Court that it has decided to revise the criteria to define economically weaker sections by revisiting the ₹8 lakh per annum income criteria for reservation in NEET.

The Centre also told the top court that that the current criteria of “Economically Weaker Section” will be revised and a decision on the new criteria will be taken within 4 weeks. Under the current definition, a candidate whose family income in less than ₹8 lakh per annum falls within EWS quota. 

The Supreme Court told Centre its EWS quota is very enabling and progressive kind of reservation and states must support Centre in its endeavour.

The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging the Centre and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) July 29 notice providing 10% for EWS category in the NEET admissions.

The government further said that till the committee decides on criteria for determining EWS category, NEET counselling stands postponed for further four weeks.

NEET PG counselling was scheduled to begin on October 25, however, it was postponed by the health directorate after petitions were filed challenging the July 29 announcement.

Petitions were filed on several grounds, chief among them being breach of the 50% threshold for providing reservations laid down in 1992 by a ruling by an apex court bench of nine judges, lack of justifiable criteria to identify economically weak beneficiaries, and arbitrary announcement on reservation after the registration process for the postgraduate courses had begun.