• A Constitution Amendment Bill to provide 10% reservation to the economically backward sections in the general category.
• The Bill will also cover those from the Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist and other minority communities. The quota will be over and above the existing 50% reservation to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
• Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution will have to be amended for the implementation of the decision
• The court had ruled on November 16, 1992, that “clause (4) of Article 16 of the Constitution speaks of adequate representation and not proportionate representation” and “relaxation can be done in extraordinary situations and while doing so, extreme caution has to be exercised and a special case made out.”
• According to the 2011 Census, the population of the country was 1.21 billion. The population of the Scheduled Castes was 201.4 million and that of the Scheduled Tribes stood at 104.3 million.

The proposed amendment Bill will define Economically Weaker Section (EWS) as one having:

• Annual household income below Rs 8 lakh.
• Agriculture land below 5 acres.
• Residential house below 1000 sqft.
• Residential plot below 100 yards in notified municipality.
• Residential plot below 200 yards in non-notified municipality area.