THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

In a landmark move just ahead of the Lok

Sabha elections, the Narendra Modi-led
NDA government has decided to give
ten per cent reservation in jobs and higher
education for those belonging to the
economically backward people in the
general category.
 WILL THE EXISTING RESERVATION BE
AFFECTED?

No, the reservation will be over and above the

existing 50 per cent reservation
 WHO WILL GET 10% RESERVATION?

MoS Social Justice - 'Brahmins, Banias, Muslims

& Christians all will be eligible for this quota in
jobs and education’

Economically backward people of the

unreserved category.
 BUT WILL THERE BE PROBLEMS?
Currently, the Supreme Court has put an upper limit of
50% on quota limit. The 10 per cent reservation for
economically weaker upper castes will be over and above
the existing 50 per cent reservation.

Any reservation beyond the 50% limit will require the

government to get a constitutional amendment passed in
Parliament. Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution
will have to be amended for implementation of the
decision.
REACTIONS
 ECONOMICALLY BACKWARD PEOPLE ?
A person will be qualified as economically weaker if:

Their annual income is below Rs 8 lakh,

They own agricultural land of less than five hectres
They own homes smaller than 1,000 sq. ft.
They own residential plots below 109 yards in notified
municipality
They own residential plot below 209 yards in non notified
municipality area
 PREVIOUS DEMANDS
Mayawati of Bhaujan Samaj Party (BSP) rode to power in
Uttar Pradesh in 2007, she demanded reservation in jobs
for the poor belonging to the upper caste, and the
Congress as well as the BJP supported the demand.

Before 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party too

promised to set up a savarna ayog or upper caste
commission to address the issues faced by the
community, including reservation for the poor among
them.
 PREVIOUS DEMANDS
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had indicated in
2016 that the Andhra Pradesh government could soon
extend reservation for the poor among upper castes.

"We will conduct a survey. Based on that we will have no

objection to extend reservation benefits to the
economically-backward among the upper castes," Naidu
had said.
Some Dalit leaders in the ruling NDA too have demanded such a
quota for the upper caste poor. Ram Vilas Paswan, Union
minister and the chief of Lok Janshakti Party, an NDA ally, said
last year that the upper caste poor should be given 15 per cent
reservation.

Another Dalit leader, Ramdas Athawale, Union minister and

president of the Republican Party of India, an NDA ally, rooted
last year for 25 per cent reservation to the poor among the
upper castes by enhancing the quota limit to 75 per cent.