The Allahabad High Court has recently handed down a precious judgment, providing hope and inspiration to many women belonging to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) of Uttar Pradesh. This case, linked to police recruitment, involved a key issue, the proper application of 20% horizontal reservation for women in the EWS quota.
Big Relief for EWS Women Aspirants
The matter began when 54 EWS women candidates, including Neha Sharma from Gautam Buddha Nagar, filed a petition. They claimed unfair treatment during the recruitment process for UP Police. Although the recruitment rules mentioned 20% horizontal reservation for women, it wasn’t properly followed within the EWS category. Instead of 181 women being selected from 902 EWS seats, only 34 were chosen.
Court Finds Fault in Mixing Reservation of General and EWS Women
When Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery heard the case, he saw a clear problem. The state government had combined, or confused, the EWS women’s reservation with the general category’s. Because of this merger, many deserving women from the EWS group lost their rightful opportunity. The court made it clear that such a move was incorrect and unfair.
Just 34 EWS Women Got Selected, Not the Required 181
The numbers presented in court were surprising. Out of 902 EWS seats, 20% or 181 would be reserved for women, but 34 EWS women were chosen. This is because the state added the general category women and included the EWS women to show that they met the 20% reservation. The court, however, said this was a wrong interpretation and misleading.
Government Couldn’t Justify Combining Seat Quotas
The state acknowledged that the seats had been combined, stating that the 903 seats available to women in both the general and EWS categories satisfied the reservation requirement. But the court asked for proof, some rule, order, or legal basis that allowed this mix. The state couldn’t provide any. That made the court question the process even more.
Finally, the court ordered the state to fix the error. It directed that EWS women should be provided their rightful 20% horizontal reservation within their own category. The court also argued that other categories have implemented this principle in the correct way, and hence there was no need for EWS women to be excluded from it.
This judgment is not just a triumph of justice, but a forceful step towards equality for all women.
