SC notice to Centre, CBSE on plea for EWS quota in CTET

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 16

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre and CBSE to respond to a petition seeking 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections in the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), 2019.

Acting on a petition filed by six candidates aspiring to participate in CTET 2019, a Vacation Bench headed by Justice Indira Banerjee also issued notice to the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

The Bench — which also included Justice Sanjiv Khanna — asked the Centre, CBSE and NCTE to respond to the petition by July 1, the next date of hearing.

The petitioners have sought a direction to the government to extend to EWS candidates the benefits of ‘The Constitution (103rd amendment) Act 2019’ which came into effect on January 16.

Under the amended Act, the Centre has provided for a 10 per cent quota to citizens from general category belonging to EWS, in addition to already existing reservation policy for benefit of other reserved categories such as Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes and physically handicapped.

Petitioners’ counsel submitted that since the amended Act has been passed by Parliament, its benefits must be extended to persons belonging to EWS.

“If we will get this relaxation, we will qualify in the examination. The amendment is aimed for upliftment of the economically weaker section of society,” they said.

As the petitioners’ counsel said the Centre may give suggestions on implementing the Act, the Bench said, “We are not saying anything on this. It is a policy and such decisions are taken by the government. Policy is not for us to decide. In policy decision we do not interfere, unless we see any violation.”

The petitioners told the apex court that CBSE published an advertisement on January 23, 2019, for conducting CTET in which benefit of 10 per cent reservation hadn’t been given to EWS candidates.