Cabinet Approves Rs 4,300 Crore To Create Over Two Lakh Seats In Higher Education Under EWS Quota

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (15 April) approved funds to the tune of Rs 4,315.15 crore to implement the ten per cent EWS reservation quota in higher education, reports Times Of India (TOI).

This decision is expected to create two lakh additional seats across 158 centrally funded higher education institutions. It should be noted that Cabinet approved the proposal after the Election Commission (EC) gave its nod for the same.

“With this Cabinet approval, a total of 2,14,766 additional seats will be created. While 1,19,983 additional seats will be created during 2019-20 academic session, 95,783 seats will be added in 2020-21,” said a government official.

Extends To Private Institutes Too

On 15 January, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had announced that quotas for backward castes and economically weaker sections (EWS) of the general category would extend to even private educational institutions.

As part of Center’s EWS push, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will offer an additional 500 seats to the eligible candidates from the upcoming academic year.

The Constitution (103 Amendment) Act, 2019 passed by the Parliament in January provides for ten per cent EWS quota in jobs and education.

Also Read: Is Indian Education Sector Prepared For EWS Quota?