Supreme Court Says Rs 8 Lakh Income Criteria Is 'Reasonsable' For EWS Category

Published 30 July 2026 · india

Supreme Court Says Rs 8 Lakh Income Criteria Is 'Reasonsable' For EWS Category Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 07:25 IST The Supreme Court

Supreme Court Says Rs 8 Lakh Income Criteria Is 'Reasonsable' For EWS Category Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 07:25 IST The Supreme Court has orally observed that the Rs 8 lakh criteria for EWS category certificate is 'reasonable'. In 2021, it had held that it is arbitrary. Rapid Read The Supreme Court of India. (File photo) The Rs 8 lakh annual income limit for availing the reservation benefits that come with the Economically Weaker Section category is prima facie reasonable, remarked the Supreme Court. The bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe, which was hearing petitions filed in 2021 challenging the Testing Agency’s notification providing affirmative action of 27 percent for Other Backward Classes and 10 percent for EWS for medical courses, made the remark on Tuesday.

The case had reportedly been suspended in the Supreme Court for five years. Earlier, in 2022, the court had upheld the 103rd Constitutional Amendment through which the 10 percent reservation for EWS candidates was introduced. During the hearing, justice Narasimha also remarked that the case had become infructuous since it was related to the 2021 session of the NEET admissions, according to a report by LiveLaw. However, Advocate Tanvi Dubey, representing the petitioner, argued that the question of law with regard to the Rs 8 lakh criteria is still valid. Dubey highlighted the recommendations of the Pandey Commission, which was set up to revisit the EWS criteria and had suggested that though the Rs 8 lakh criteria be retained, families owning over 5 acres of agricultural land, irrespective of income, should be excluded from the category.

In December, 2021, the Union government had informed the court that it accepted the recommendation of the Commission. The Pandey Commission was set up when the court had, at that time, prima facie, observed that the income criteria for this category was arbitrary, the report noted. It was during the course of this back and forth in the latest hearing, that the court orally observed that the Rs 8 lakh criteria appears to be “reasonable". The court kept the matter pending as senior counsels, Adv. Aravind Datar and Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, were not present. The bench further asked Dubey to make a list of all connected matters and issues raised in them before adjourning the matter for a week.

The assistance of Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati was also sought in this regard. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: July 30, 2026, 07:25 IST News india Supreme Court Says Rs 8 Lakh Income Criteria Is 'Reasonsable' For EWS Category Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...