Gujarat government announced 10 percent reservation for EBCs in general category

Gujarat government on 28 April 2016 announced 10 percent reservation for economically backward classes (EBCs) in general category.

EBCs in the upper castes, include Patidars, with a family income cap of 6 lakh rupees a year that is 50000 rupees per month can avail the benefit

This decision will breach the Supreme Court set reservation limit of 50 percent as the government is already providing 50 percent reservation to Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

But, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government of Gujarat is serious on the issue and declared that it would fight it out legally.

A notification will be issued on the Gujarat state formation day on 1 May 2016, and EBCs among general category will be able to take the benefit of the reservation in education and jobs from the 2017-18 academic year

Background

The BJP government has been facing violent protests from the Patel community seeking reservation in education and government jobs under the OBC category. The BJP suffered heavy losses in the rural local bodies polls in 2016 and were blamed on the Patel quota stir.

Hence this decision was taken in the state BJP party’s core group meeting in the presence of BJP national president Amit Shah, as in the state Assembly elections are due in 2017.

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