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Peter

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Published on: Jun 24, 2026

EWS Certificate (Economically Weaker Section)

The Government of India (GoI) passed the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) Bill in January 2019 to provide support and opportunities. The EWS bill supports by increasing employment opportunities and benefits by providing 10 % reservation for an appointment in educational institutions.  Further, the reservation also applies to civil posts and civil services, if the individual receives income below the stipulated threshold.

Overview

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (SJE) issued the EWS bill especially to improve the economic stability of the weaker section in India. It was tabled under the Economic Weaker Section Reservation Bill Article 15(4) and Article 16(4). For this reason, the bill was sanctioned with Rs.4315.15 crore to implement the benefits for the scheme. The eligibility criteria to apply EWS bill will be determined using the accumulated income and property assets. This bill does not equal to OBC reservation. Hence it applies only to the people belonging to General category and not to SC, ST and OBCs. However, the applicant can avail benefits from EWS, if not availed from any other SC, ST benefits. The bill was proposed in order to promote equality, eliminate economic weakness, social backwardness. It also focused on providing education at premium institutions and share of power that has been neglected for generations.

Objectives of EWS Bill

  • To set up parameters to dismantle trans-generational and economic disadvantages that do not fall under other welfare schemes provided by the GoI.
  • Create reservation to increase the employment opportunities in civil service departments and premium educational institutions
  • Destabilise economic weakness and increase the literacy rate  in India

Eligibility Criteria to Avail EWS Benefits

  • The applicant must belong to the General category
  • The total accumulated income of the family should be less than 8 lakhs annually (including profit from the business, agriculture, professional services)
  • The individual or the family members should reside near slum areas, rural or urban
  • Primary income source is through manual or household labour, artisanship in rural or urban society
  • Member of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA)
  • Possession of agricultural land by the individual or family not more than 5 acres
  • Belonging to a female-headed household
  • Education of both the parents below higher secondary in matriculation schools
  • If the applicant owns a household property, it should not exceed more than 1000 sq.ft
  • If the applicant owns a residential plot, it should not exceed more than 100 sq. yards in a notified municipality sector and 200 sq. yards in a non-notified municipality sector

Applicants who have migrated from the following states:

S. No. States
1 Bihar
2 West Bengal
3 Orissa
4 Jammu and Kashmir
5 Assam
6 Jharkhand
7 Rajasthan
8 Madhya Pradesh
9 All North-Eastern States

Application Process to Avail EWS Benefits

To avail the EWS benefits, the applicant must avail Income and Asset Certificate as per Annexure-I from Tahsildar, District Magistrate, Collector, District magistrate, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Revenue Officer or Sub-Divisional Officer.

Manual Process

Step 1: Apply for Income and Asset Certificate through the Application form.
Step 2: Submit the form to any of the above-mentioned government authoritative member along with the required documents. Step 3: A government employee from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will visit the applicants' premises to validate the credentials.

Online Process

The government of Andhra Pradesh created MeeSeva Portal to avail the benefits of EWS through online. The portal can be used to avail, submit documents by the applicant and verify the documents online. The portal also displays the status of the application whether it has been accepted or rejected.

Step Number

Application Process

1

Create a new user name and password to login to the MeeSeva portal

2

 Select the option Issuance of Income and Asset Certificate for EWS

3

 Provide the required details with valid credentials

4

 The application number is generated

5

 Fill the application form with valid credentials

6

 Upload all the documents

7

 Pay Rs. 45 as processing fee

8

 Check for the status of the application

9

 If approved, the applicant will receive a message from the portal. The applicant can download the certificate from the portal.

For more details on online process,

Documents Required

  • Details of the applicant such as Aadhar Card, PAN card, Driving License and Ration card
  • Copy of IT returns attested by an authorised CA
  • Property documents if any
  • Passport size photographs
  • Affidavit and
  • Community certificate

For more information on how to avail benefits from the EWS,

click here
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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about EWS Certificate Benefits & Eligibility in India.

The EWS Certificate, or the Economically Weaker Sections Certificate, is a document issued by the Government of India to individuals from the general category whose family's annual income is below ₹8 lakh. It enables them to avail benefits such as reservations in educational institutions, civil services, and government jobs.
To be eligible for the EWS Certificate, an applicant must belong to the general category, have an annual family income of less than ₹8 lakh, and meet other criteria such as residing in slum areas, owning limited agricultural land or residential property, and having parents with education below the higher secondary level.
The main objectives of the EWS Bill are to dismantle trans-generational economic disadvantages, create reservations to increase employment opportunities in civil services and premium educational institutions, destabilize economic weakness, and increase the literacy rate in India.
One can apply for the EWS Certificate either through a manual process by submitting an application form and documents to authorized government officials or through an online portal like MeeSeva in Andhra Pradesh, where the application can be submitted and documents uploaded digitally.
The documents required to apply for the EWS Certificate include proof of identity (Aadhaar Card, PAN card, Driving License, Ration card), income tax returns, property documents (if any), passport-size photographs, affidavit, and community certificate.
Yes, the EWS reservation is different from the OBC (Other Backward Classes) reservation. The EWS reservation is specifically for individuals from the general category who meet the income and other criteria, while the OBC reservation is for individuals belonging to the Other Backward Classes.
No, an individual cannot avail benefits from both EWS and SC/ST (Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe) reservations. If an individual has already availed benefits from SC/ST reservations, they cannot claim the EWS reservation.
The purpose of the EWS Bill is to promote equality, eliminate economic weakness, and provide opportunities for education and employment to individuals from the general category who have been economically disadvantaged but do not qualify for other welfare schemes.
Yes, there is a limit on the residential property size for EWS eligibility. If the applicant owns a household property, it should not exceed 1000 sq.ft., and if they own a residential plot, it should not exceed 100 sq. yards in a notified municipality sector and 200 sq. yards in a non-notified municipality sector.
The Government of India has sanctioned ₹4315.15 crore for the implementation of the EWS Bill and its benefits.