An online educational guidance platform claimed that around 145 EWS-listed seats in deemed universities were reportedly taken by candidates who paid fee in crores. The claim prompted misuse of the EWS reservation quota and gave a hint at a possible scam in NEET PG seats.
The recent NEET PG counselling outcomes have stirred widespread concern about possible misuse of the Economically Weaker Section quota.
Reports that some candidates listed under EWS later paid very high fees to secure postgraduate seats in private and deemed universities have put the reservation mechanism under scrutiny.
An online educational guidance platform had claimed that about 145 EWS-listed seats in deemed universities were taken by candidates who paid fees running into crores, with one reported case of a candidate paying 4.23 crore for an MD seat.
The findings named several clinical specialities and private institutes where such admissions were recorded.
WHO QUALIFIES AS EWS
The Economically Weaker Section category was created to provide reservations to financially disadvantaged persons not covered by SC/ST/OBC quotas. The government has set both income and asset conditions for EWS eligibility.
To qualify as an EWS, the applicant’s family must satisfy all the following:
- Annual family gross income from all sources should be less than Rs 8 lakh for the financial year preceding application.
- The family does not own five acres or more of agricultural land.
- The family does not own a residential flat of 1000 square feet or more.
- The family does not own a residential plot of 100 square yards or more in notified municipalities.
- The family does not own a residential plot of 200 square yards or more in areas other than notified municipalities.
