Govt to increase 25% seats in varsities for 10% quota

New Delhi: In a landmark decision, the government on Tuesday announced the implementation of 10 per cent EWS quota for the general category from the academic year 2019-20. While announcing the decision, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the 10 per cent EWS quota will be implemented across 40,000 colleges and 900 universities in the country.

"This 10 per cent quota for EWS will be over and above the existing quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs and general seats. Adequate additional seats will be created in these colleges and universities to implement the quota for EWS," Javadekar said, adding that the UGC and AICTE would be provided with the operational mandate within a week to implement the quota.

The HRD Ministry also said that the government would increase around 25 per cent seats in higher educational institutions and universities across the country. The minister, however, did not specify the number of seats which will be added.

"The modalities are being worked out and within a week's time, we will have the exact number of seats that will be added. The operation manuals about how to implement the quota will be issued soon. The colleges and universities will also be asked to mention the quota in their prospectus as well and make infrastructural arrangements accordingly," he added.

Surprisingly, the Union Minister also said that the quota would also be implemented in all private institutions from the academic year 2019-20. As per experts, all the quotas are implemented by only those private institutions which are governed by institutions under the UGC Act, while the quota would not be implemented in independent private universities.

The Rajya Sabha on January 9 approved amending the Constitution to provide 10 per cent reservation to general category poor in jobs and education, with the government terming the landmark move as "slog over sixes".