A reservation of 10% will be offered in government jobs for economically weaker sections (EWS) from the general category, said the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC). This will be applicable for all job notifications active on October 23, reports The Hindu. This decision was announced on November 2.
The last date for applications for the jobs has been extended to November 14. However, this extension does not apply for applicants of department jobs which do not have the reservation quota.
It was on October 21 that the Kerala cabinet approved 10% reservation in government jobs, as well as admissions in educational institutions, for the EWS in the general category, who are generally not in the reservation category. Family income and economic backwardness would be the parameters in deciding whether or not a person is eligible for the reservation.
Currently, 50% reservation is allowed for those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Categories. The new system will not affect the existing reservation system. The Cabinet had also decided to amend the Kerala State and Subordinate rules for the purpose.
The government decision for the EWS reservation was not taken well by other political parties and some religious organisations.
It was last year that the Kerala government decided to provide 10% reservation for the EWS, based on the 103 amendment of the Constitution and the union government’s notifications of the same. However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), which leads the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) of Kerala, had opposed the union government's criteria. The party's politburo said it was wrong to use the same criteria that is applied for the Other Backward Caste (OBC) creamy layer category.
The state government had last year appointed a commission chaired by GK Sasidharan Nair to determine who will be eligible for reservation from the EWS.