Cabinet approves 10% quota for upper caste poor; are you eligible?

January 7: A ‘master stroke’ by the Modi government before the ensuing Lok Sabha polls which would deliver “many more sixers” over the next few months.This was how junior union social welfare minister Ramdas Athawale described the decision of the Narendra Modi government to amend the Constitution to provide for 10 per cent reservation for ‘economically backward’ upper castes in direct recruitment in government services and admission to higher educational institutions. Sources said the bill would be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Unlike the reservation for SC/ST/OBCs, caste is not going to be a criterion for eligibility to the reservation under this new provision. In fact, sources revealed that the government’s move plan to delineate the economically weaker section (EWS) for avoiding confusion. “There is a possibility that the Winter Session might be extended by a day or so if necessary,” a Union Minister said, hinting that the government would ideally like Lok Sabha to take up the constitution amendment bill as soon as possible.

Are you eligible:

• For those who earn less than Rs 8 lakh annually.
• For those who have agriculture land below five acres.
• For those who avail the quota, a residential house should be below 1,000 square feet.
• The residential plot should be below 109 yards in a notified municipality.
• The residential plot should be below 209 yards in a non-notified municipality area

In one go, the 10 per cent quota benefits for jobs and educational institutions holds the potential to consolidate support among the upper castes for the BJP. These communities had been feeling alienated from the BJP after it went into overdrive mode to reverse the impact of the Supreme Court verdict that diluted the Dalit atrocity law.