Reservations
Reservations
Reservations
ABSTRACT
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O R D E R:
The Government of India, in the reference first read above, have brought out
the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 inserting Clause
(6) in Article 15 and Clause (6) in Article 16 in the Constitution providing for 10%
reservation in admissions into Educational Institutions and appointments in the
posts and services under the State in favour of Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) of citizens other than the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the
Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
b) The persons whose family owns or possesses any of the following assets
shall be excluded from being identified as Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) for the benefit of reservation, irrespective of the family income.
The term “Family” for this purpose will include the person who seeks benefit
of reservation, his/her parents and siblings below the age of 18 years as also
his/her spouse and children below the age of 18 years.
3. Government of Andhra Pradesh vide reference 4th cited had enacted a bill to
provide for reservation of seats in educational institutions in the State of Andhra
Pradesh and of appointments or posts in the services under the State for the
Telaga, Ontari and Balija communities including Kapus in BC-F as detailed below:
Backward
(i) - Percent (%)
Classes
Group-A - Seven Percent (7%)
Group-B - Ten Percent (10%)
Group-C - One Percent (1%)
Group-D - Seven Percent (7%)
Group-E - Four Percent (4%)
Group-F (Kapus) - Five Percent (5%)
(ii) Schedule Castes - Fifteen Percent (15%)
(iii) Schedule Tribes - Six Percent (6%)
Total 55 %
4. Further vide reference 5th cited, the Secretary to Legislature (I/C), A.P. has
sent the bill to the Secretary to Govt. of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi
for Assent of the Hon’ble President of India and the same is still pending.
7. Meanwhile, a Writ Petition bearing No. WP (CIVIL) No. 343 of 2019 with
I.A.No.45038/2019 has been filed before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India
praying for quashing the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act,
2019 as violative of basic structure of the Constitution and also quashing Act 14 &
Act 15 of 2019 enacted by Government of Andhra Pradesh as being violative of
Articles 15 (1) & 16 (2) of the Constitution.
8. And, two Writ Petitions have been filed before the Hon’ble High Court of
Andhra Pradesh praying for issuing an appropriate Writ or Order or direction more
particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus to the respondents to notify the
Rules for implementing the 10% reservation provided to Economically Weaker
Sections among Kapus and other than Kapus in Act No.14 of 2019 and Act No.15 of
2019 enacted by the State of Andhra Pradesh.
9. Further, one more Writ Petition has been filed before the Hon’ble High Court
of Andhra Pradesh praying for issuing an appropriate Writ or Order or direction
more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring Act No.14 of
2019 and Act No.15 of 2019 as ultra vires and un-constitutional, violative of the
purport of the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 and
violative of Article 15 of the Constitution of India and consequently, Act No.14 of
2019 and Act No.15 of 2019, have to be struck down. The Hon’ble High Court of
Andhra Pradesh passed interim orders in this case.
10. Besides the above Writ Petitions, certain Public Interest Litigations (PILs)
bearing W.P. (PIL) No. 122 of 2019 and W.P. (PIL) No. 130 of 2019 have also been
filed in this regard, challenging the sub-categorization of EWS reservation into 5%
for EWS among Kapus and 5% for EWS among other than Kapus.
11. As mentioned above, several Writ Petitions and Public Interest Litigations
(PILs) have been filed before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India as well as Hon’ble
High Court of Andhra Pradesh challenging the validity of the enactment by the
Government of India of the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act,
2019 it self providing for 10% reservation to EWS Category on economic basis and
also enactment by the Government of Andhra Pradesh of Act No.14 of 2019 and Act
No.15 of 2019 providing for sub-categorization of EWS reservation into 5% for EWS
among Kapus and 5% for EWS among other than Kapus.
12. All the Writ Petitions and Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in this regard
are still pending before the Hon’ble Courts and they are yet to be disposed of. But,
only in one of the Writ Petitions bearing No. 8556 of 2019 filed by Sri Kalle Chandra
Sekhar Sharma and Smt. Kalle Mitravinda, the Hon’ble High Court of Andhra
Pradesh have issued interim orders in public interest and to ensure that the
academic session and admission of students is not put to jeopardy in the context of
the litigation concerning the same.
13. In due obedience to the interim orders of the Hon’ble High Court of Andhra
Pradesh passed in the W.P. No. 8556 of 2019 and in consideration of the academic
session and interest of the EWS students, Government have issued orders in the
reference 12th cited for implementation of 10% reservation to the Economically
Weaker Sections (EWS) for admissions into Educational Institutions in accordance
with the purport of the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act,
2019 and as per the guidelines issued by Government of India in this regard.
14. In this context, it is to be noted that the State of Telangana and several
other States like Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat
etc., have already implemented 10% Reservation in favour of Economically Weaker
Sections (EWS) both in Education and Employment in consonance with the
Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019. Some of the states
have also formulated their own eligibility criteria as far as admissions in educational
institutions and appointment in employment of their state government concerned.
15. It is pertinent to note that government of Andhra Pradesh have received
several representations from public regarding the implementation of 10% EWS
reservation in employment and admission in educational institutions wherein the
request for modification of certain eligibility conditions considering the differences in
cultural aspects, economic status and geographical diversity among various EWS
Communities of the state.
17. It is pertinent to note that bill No.33/2017 and Act No.14 of 2019 and 15 of
2019 are contradictory to each other. The bill No.33 of 2017 seeks to include
Kapus into the list of BCs through creation of a separate category called BC – F and
as per the reservations provided in that bill for various categories like BC, SC, ST,
the overall reservation is at 55%. Whereas, the Acts 14 and 15 of 2019 seek to
provide 5% reservation to Kapus under EWS Category treating them as OCs by
creating a sub category within the overall 10% reservation provided by the
Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019 of GoI. Bill
No.33/2017 is still pending at the level of Government of India. However, in the
meantime the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide judgment in Civil Appeal No.3123 of
2020 against the reservation of Maratha Community has clearly reiterated that the
overall cap in reservation shall not exceed 50% as originally ordered in Indra
Sawhney judgment.
18. Act No.14 of 2019 and 15 of 2019 are challenged before the Hon’ble High
Court as the state government is not competent to bifurcate the 10% reservation
by creating sub category within a category of reservation and the litigations are still
pending. Because of contradiction between bill No.33 of 2017 which is still pending
with GoI and Act 14 of 2019 & 15 of 2019 which are under litigation under various
Hon’ble courts, Kapus are neither categorized as BCs nor able to avail the
reservations under EWS category. Similarly, because of litigations, members from
other EWS communities are also not able to avail the reservations as contemplated
under the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019. This issue
has been further compounded by recent Supreme Court Judgement restricting the
overall reservations to 50%.In view of all the issues as discussed above, any
decision taken by the Government of Andhra Pradesh should be in compliance with
the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019. Anything contrary
to that leading to litigation denies the benefits of reservation to the members of
EWS community as mandated in the Constitution (One Hundred and Third
Amendment) Act, 2019.
19. The Government, therefore, after careful examination of the issue and as per
the interim orders of the Hon’ble High Court as referred to above, have decided that
the principles / guidelines issued in G.O.Ms.No.60, BC Welfare(F)Department,
Dt. 27.07.2019 for the purpose of Education, be replicated in the sphere of
Employment also for implementation of 10% reservation to the Economically
Weaker Sections (EWS) of the citizens, for appointments in initial Posts and
Services under the State Government in accordance with the purport of the
Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019in order to benefit
Kapus who are neither benefited under BC quota nor under EWS quota and other
OC sections who have been deprived of the benefits of reservations thus far due to
non-implementation of EWS quota subject to the outcome of several Writ Petitions
and Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in this regard before the Hon’ble Courts.
20. The operational guidelines in regard to implementation of 10% reservation to
the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) for initial appointments in the Posts and
Services under the State Government are as follows.
i. The persons who are not covered under existing scheme of reservations
for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Socially and
Educationally Backward Classes and whose gross annual family income is
below Rs.8.00 lakh are to be identified as Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) for the benefit of reservation. The Income shall also include income
from all sources i.e. salary, agriculture, business, profession, etc. for the
financial year prior to the year of application.
ii. The term “Family” for this purpose will include the person who seeks
benefit of reservation, his/her parents and siblings below the age of 18
years as also his/her spouse and children below the age of 18 years.
iii. Regarding initial appointments in the posts and services, the persons
recruited under EWS category will be adjusted against the roster points
earmarked for them. The orders on the roster points earmarked for 10%
reservation to EWS category will be issued separately, along with other
rules to be framed/amended and guidelines to be formulated, if any.
iv. 1/3rd (33 1/3) of the initial appointments in posts and services under the
State Government earmarked for EWS category shall be allocated to
women among them. The one-third reservation earmarked for women is
horizontal.
v. The persons seeking the benefit of reservation under EWS category shall
obtain the necessary EWS Certificate issued by the Tahsildar concerned.
21. As far as the posts notified for appointment by Government of India the
guidelines issued by the Government of India, vide in the reference 2nd and 3rd read
above are applicable.
To
All the Departments in A.P. Secretariat.
All the Heads of Departments in the State.
All the District Collectors in the State.
The Secretary, APPSC, Vijayawada.
The Advocate General, A.P.
The Law Department, A.P. Secretariat.
The Registrar (Admn.), Hon’ble High Court of A.P.
Copy to:
The P.S. to Secretary to the Hon’ble C.M.
The P.S. to the Hon’ble Minster for B.C. Welfare.
The OSD to Chief Secretary to Government.
The P.S. to Spl. C.S., B.C. Welfare Dept.
The Stock File.
// FORWARDED :: BY ORDER //
SECTION OFFICER