All About EWS Certificate - Eligibility, Application, and Benefits Explained

The citizens of India belonging to the Economically Weaker Section are issued with EWS Certificates that help them to avail 10% reservation in higher education and government jobs in the country. The government of India passed the EWS Bill 2019, which was approved on 12 January 2019 by the President of India and was first enacted by the Gujarat Government on 14 January 2019. EWS certificates are income or asset certificates that the government issues to the EWS citizens, which they must produce during admission or while applying for government jobs.

Note: Candidates under the EWS category are not eligible for the reservation schemes under the SC, ST, and OBC category. 

Highlights of EWS Certificate

The following are some of the key highlights of EWS certificate: 

Purpose of EWS Certificate in India

The following are the objectives of EWS Bill:

1. Provide opportunities to deprived individuals
2. Provides a 10% reservation facility to the economically backward applicants of the General category
3. The government provides reservations based on income

Note: Other castes are exempted from availing of this facility

Benefits of EWS Certificate

Here are the benefits of the EWS certificate: 

1. Helps those individuals under the General category who are financially weak
2. Enables applicants to avail benefits in the education field and government schemes
3. The EWS reservation of 10% is applicable for all major universities under UGC
4. Applicants can avail of the state government and the central government subsidy schemes using an EWS certificate.

Who Issues the EWS Certificate?

The following are the issuing authorities of EWS certificates: 

1. One of the issuing authorities: 

1. District Magistrate
2. Additional Deputy Commissioner
3. Sub-Divisional Magistrate
4. Additional District Magistrate
5. Deputy Commissioner
6. Collector
7. Taluka Magistrate
8. Executive Magistrate
9. Extra Assistant Commissioner
10. First Class Stipendiary Magistrate

2. One of the following authorities: 

1. Presidency Magistrate 
2. Chief Presidency Magistrate 
3. Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate 

3. District revenue office 

Note: Officers below the rank of Tehsildar and Sub-Divisional Officer are not eligible to provide EWS certificates to the beneficiaries. 

Eligibility Criteria of EWS Certificate

Here are the eligibility criteria for applying for an EWS certificate:

1. Candidate must belong only to the General category
2. Per annum family income should be less than Rs.8 lakh
3. Candidates should not have agricultural land not more than 5 acres of area
4. Candidates must have a residential property not more than 100 sq. feet of area
5. Residential plots owned in the notified municipality sector should be below 100 sq. yards
6. Residential plots owned in the non-notified municipality sector should be below 240 sq. Yards

Note:  

1. Family income includes income from sources such as salary, business, agriculture, private job, etc. 
2. Family includes the members such as self, the applicant’s parents, spouse, children and siblings below 18 years of age. 

Documents Required for EWS Certificate

The following are the essential documents that are required to apply for EWS certificate: 

1. Aadhar card
2. PAN card
3. Income certificate
4. Bank statement
5. Proof of identification
6. Caste certificate
7. Property or land proof
8. Domicile certificate or Residential proof
9. Passport sized photograph
10. Self-declaration or Affidavit

How to Apply for EWS Certificate?

EWS certificate applicants can fill out applications both online and offline depending on the policy of the state government.

Online Mode

The following are the steps to apply for an EWS certificate online:

1. Visit the website of the official authority
2. Select the relevant department
3. Fill in your personal and income details
4. Upload the scanned copy of the required documents
5. Pay the application fee
6. Click on 'Submit'

Receipt will be generated online after payment is done successfully. 

Offline Mode 

The following are the steps to apply for an EWS certificate offline: 

1. Visit the revenue department or the issuing authority’s office in your region
2. Get the application form or download it online
3. Fill in the required details as mentioned in the form
4. Make the payment to receive the application receipt

How to Check EWS Certificate Status?

Applicants can check their EWS certificate application status online by clicking on the respective state-wise links. The following are the official portals for checking the application status of the EWS certificate:

Difference Between EWS and OBC Certificate?

The following are the differences between EWS certificate and OBC certificate: