What is the full form of EWS

EWS: Economically Weaker Section

EWS stands for Economically Weaker Section. In India, EWS is a subcategory of people who belong to General Category and have an annual income less than Rs. 8 lakhs and do not belong to any other reserved category such as SC, ST, OBC. A candidate whose family's income is more than the prescribed limit (8 lakhs), will be considered as a candidate from the General category, but not from the EWS category.

The definition of EWS has been given by the Govt. of India, and it is different from Economically Backward Class (EBC). The definition of EBC and Most Economically Backward Class (MEBC) vary in different states and institutions. The Central Government has recently introduced 10% reservation quota for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of General Category candidates.

Eligibility for EWS Quota:

You are eligible for EWS Reservation, if:

• Your family income is less than Rs. 8lakh per annum
• Agricultural land is less than 5 acres
• Area of the residential flat is less than 1000 sq. ft.
• Area of the residential plot less than 100/200 sq. yards

Therefore, the eligibility to get the EWS certificate is not based on a single factor. It may consider your annual income, held property, residential flat, etc. The income limit is set by the central government for the students to get admission to central government-owned colleges and jobs offered by the central government. A state government may set a different income limit for candidates seeking admission in the state-owned colleges and state government jobs through reservation under EWS category.