EWS Certificate (Economically Weeker section income Certificate)
The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) refers to a segment of Indian society that falls outside the reserved categories and has an annual family income of less than Rs. 8 lakh. This group comprises individuals who do not fall under the Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), or Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories, which already receive reservation benefits.
The Indian Government has implemented a 10% reservation quota for individuals belonging to the EWS category who do not fall under ST/SC or OBC categories but meet the criteria for being economically disadvantaged. Candidates eligible for the EWS reservation come from the general category and can now avail of a 10% reservation if they meet the specified criteria to qualify as economically disadvantaged.
FAQs on EWS Certificate
- What is the full form of the EWS Certificate?
The full form of EWS is the Economic Weaker Section, which is related to Category Reservation.
- What are the EWS certificate application fees?
The registration amount varies depending upon the state, and the cost of the EWS certificate ranges between Rs.10 to Rs.50, along with a court stamp fee of Rs.2.
- What is the validity of the EWS certificate?
The EWS certificate is generally valid for one year from the date of issuance and depends upon the designated authority of the state issuing the certificate. Candidates must also check the validity of their asset or income certificate before using their EWS certificate.
- Can I recover the lost or forgotten password?
Yes, you can recover the lost or forgotten password by clicking on the official portal. Candidates need to click on the ‘Forgotten password’ option and will have to enter the user ID, password, and captcha. Click on the ‘Get OTP’ option to receive the OTP and enter it along with the new password to reset your password.
- What is the procedure for unlocking unlock the user?
Visit the official portal and click on the ‘Unlock user’ option. Enter the User ID and captcha and click on the ‘Get details’ option to unlock the user.
- What is the EWS certificate application processing time?
It takes a maximum time of 21 days from the date of submission of the application to process the EWS certificate application.
- Will I be considered in the quota, if my score marks are equivalent to the general category?
No, if you score equivalent marks in the general category then you will not be considered as GEN-EWS.
- Can I also use the MNREGA Job card to avail of the EWS Certificate?
Yes, you can also use the MNREGA job card to get yourself the EWS certificate as this is also considered as one of the significant identity proofs for income verification.
- Is the EWS cutoff lower than the general category?
The cutoff for the EWS category is lower than the general category, and hence, the EWS candidate will be a given chance even if the general category student scores more marks than the EWS candidate.
Who are the Issuing Authorities of EWS Certificate?
The following are the issuing authorities of EWS certificates:
One of the issuing authorities:
- District Magistrate
- Additional Deputy Commissioner
- Sub-Divisional Magistrate
- Additional District Magistrate
- Deputy Commissioner
- Collector
- Taluka Magistrate
- Executive Magistrate
- Extra Assistant Commissioner
- First Class Stipendiary Magistrate
Eligibility Criteria
- Candidate must belong only to the General category
- Per annum family income should be less than Rs.8 lakh
- Candidates should not have agricultural land not more than 5 acres of area
- Candidates must have a residential property not more than 100 sq. feet of area
- Residential plots owned in the notified municipality sector should be below 100 sq. yards
- Residential plots owned in the non-notified municipality sector should be below 240 sq. Yards
Note:
- Family income includes income from sources such as salary, business, agriculture, private job, etc.
- Family includes the members such as self, the applicant’s parents, spouse, children and siblings below 18 years of age.
Benefits
- Helps those individuals under the General category who are financially weak
- Enables applicants to avail benefits in the education field and government schemes
- The EWS reservation of 10% is applicable for all major universities under UGC
- Applicants can avail of the state government and the central government subsidy schemes using an EWS certificate
Objectives of EWS Bill
The following are the objectives of EWS Bill:
- Provide opportunities to deprived individuals
- Provides a 10% reservation facility to the economically backward applicants of the General category
- The government provides reservations based on income
Note: Other castes are exempted from availing of this facility
How to Apply
Documents Required for EWS Certificate
The following are the essential documents that are required to apply for EWS certificate:
- Aadhar card
- PAN card
- Income certificate
- Bank statement
- Proof of identification
- Caste certificate
- Property or land proof
- Domicile certificate or Residential proof
- Passport sized photograph
- Self-declaration or Affidavit
Apply by Online Mode
The following are the steps to apply for an EWS certificate online:
- Visit the website of the official authority
- Select the relevant department
- Fill in your personal and income details
- Upload the scanned copy of the required documents
- Pay the application fee
- Click on ‘Submit’
Receipt will be generated online after payment is done successfully.