How to Get an EWS Certificate to Apply for an Entrance Exam in India

For those candidates wondering how to get an EWS certificate, the basic criteria is income, landholding, and residential property. In terms of documents, a candidate will need proof of income, residential address, landholding, and family details along with government IDs PAN, Aadhaar, Voter's card

An EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) certificate is a document issued by the government that certifies a person's eligibility for economic benefits under the EWS category. The EWS category was introduced by the Government of India in 2019 to provide 10% reservation in various sectors for individuals who do not belong to any reserved categories such as SC, ST, or OBC.

How to Apply for an EWS Certificate?

Candidates can check the step-by-step process to apply for an EWS certificate. The steps are stated below.

Step 1: Visit the Relevant Authority

• EWS certificates are typically issued by the state government or the district administration. Visit the official website of your state's revenue department or the district collector’s office.

• In some states, you may be able to apply online through the state’s official portal, while in others, you might need to visit the office in person.

Step 2: Fill out the Application Form

• Download the application form from the official portal (if applying online) or obtain a physical copy from the concerned office.

• Fill out the required details, such as your personal information, family income details, landholding, and residential property information.

Step 3: Submit the Required Documents

• Submit the application form along with the necessary documents, such as your income proof, residential address, landholding documents, and others mentioned above.

Step 4: Verification Process

• After applying, the concerned authorities will verify the documents and details provided by the applicant.

• The verification process may involve a field inquiry or a visit to your residential address or property.

Step 5: Certificate Issuance

• Once the verification is complete and the applicant meets all the eligibility criteria, the applicant will be issued the EWS certificate.

• The time taken for processing and issuing the certificate can vary from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the local administration.

Documents Required for EWS Certificate

For the successful application of an EWS Certificate, some supporting evidence should be attached. Here is an exhaustive list of the documents required for the EWS certificate:

Documents Required for EWS Certificate

Documents	Description
Aadhar Card	Proof of identification
PAN Card	Additional identity proof
Income Certificate	Proof of annual income (less than INR 8 lakh)
Bank Statement	Financial transactions showing income
Caste Certificate	If available, to show the general category status
Property/Land Proof	Proof of landholding not exceeding prescribed limits
Domicile Certificate	Proof of residence
Passport-sized Photograph	Recent photograph for identification purposes
Self-Declaration	Affidavit confirming that you meet the EWS criteria

The mention of the documents listed above for the EWS certificate is necessary. Depending on the state's requirements, these papers should accompany the application form, whether online or in person.

Eligibility Criteria for EWS Certificate

To apply, applicants must confirm that they qualify under the eligibility criteria. Here are the key points:

1) General Category:

Application is available only to the general category.

2) Family Income:

The households applying should only have income growing up to 8 lakh rupees a year, pressing in all means such as salaries, agricultural incomes, business benefits, etc.

3) Land and Property:

• 5 acres of agricultural land should be the maximum permitted.
• 100 squares of residential property should be the maximum sanctioned.
• In areas of notified municipalities, the residential plot size limit is 100 square yards, and in areas that are not notified, the size limit is 240 square yards.

What is an EWS Certificate?

An EWS Certificate is an income or asset certificate the Government of India gives to selected people in the general category as they fall under economic backwardness. This allows them to get a government and educational 10% reservation.

The EWS Certificate is different from the OBC certificate since this one explicitly targets the poorer sections of society who are a part of the General category. This certificate was enacted through The EWS Bill 2019 and passed in January 2019. The following explains the concepts of EWS and its scope of work, the advantages of holding an EWS certificate, and the bodies responsible for its issuance.

EWS Certificate Key Highlights

Individuals require the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) certificate from the general category living in India and looking for a 10% quota in the jobs and educational institutions in India. Such a certificate is given to assist individuals who make less than INR 8 lakh yearly and whose assets are limited.

Those who make a successful application and fall within this criteria will qualify for the benefits of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 2019. There is a specific duration for the validity of the EWS certificate, and it must be renewed every year. A table containing the important features of the EWS certificate has been provided below to aid the understanding of the readers:

Parameter	Details
Certificate Name	EWS (Economically Weaker Section) Certificate
Income Criteria	Annual family income must be less than Rs. 8 lakh
Property Restrictions	- Agricultural land ≤ 5 acres- Residential property ≤ 1000 sq. ft.- Plots ≤ 100/200 sq. yards
Reservation Quota	10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions
Issuing Authorities	District Magistrate, Revenue Officer, Tehsildar, etc.
Validity	One year (renewal required)
Application Modes	Online and Offline (varies by state)
Key Benefits	Reservation benefits in education, government jobs, and financial subsidies

Issuing Authorities for EWS Certificate

Specific government officials issue the EWS Certificate. Below is a table listing some of the authorised personnel:

Authority	Position
District Magistrate	District-level officer
Sub-Divisional Magistrate	Officer in charge of a sub-division
Collector	Administrative officer
Taluka Magistrate	In charge of taluka-level issues
Revenue Officer	Officers responsible for income records

Note: Officers below the rank of Tehsildar are not eligible to issue EWS certificates.

Benefits of EWS Certificate

Holders of an EWS certificate will enjoy several advantages:

• Reservation in Education: 10% reservation for EWS in educational institutions of higher learning nationwide.
• Jobs with the Government: An allocation of 10% for employment opportunities in the government sector is realistic.
• Other Subsidy Schemes: A few regions prefer providing special incentives to EWS holders in multiple sectors.

EWS Certificate Validity and Renewal

Once granted, The EWS Certificate usually remains valid for one year and is renewable after that. If you still comply with the criteria, it is evident that you should renew the certificate. Before applying, look out for the date mentioned on the certificate to avoid future problems.

How is the EWS Certificate Different from the OBC Certificate?

With the OBC Certificate, one is granted privileges based on social factors and educational backwardness with a reservation of 27 percent.

In contrast, the EWS Certificate is provided only to the general category whose families earn less than INR 80,000 if one assumes the fiscal year quota. In turn, the EWS quota is only reserved for individuals from the general category with the eligible income below 8 lakh.” The key differences are summarised below:

Parameters	EWS Certificate	OBC Certificate
Applicable for	General Category (Economically Weaker Section)	Other Backward Classes (OBC)
Annual Income Limit	INR 8 lakh (General Category)	INR 8 lakh (OBC Category)
Reservation Percentage	10% in education and government jobs	27% in education and government jobs
Age Relaxation	No age relaxation	Yes, age relaxation available

State-Wise Portals to Check EWS Certificate

The applicants can check the status of the EWS Certificate for different states by using the respective state-wise portals. There is a table that is provided state-wise with the state’s name and the corresponding websites from where you can check the status of your EWS certificate application:

State	Portal Name
Andhra Pradesh	Meeseva App
Arunachal Pradesh	Arunachal eServices Portal
Assam	Assam State Portal
Bihar	RTPS Portal
Chandigarh	e-District Portal
Chhattisgarh	e-District Portal
Delhi	e-District Portal
Gujarat	Digital Gujarat Portal
Haryana	e-Disha Portal
Himachal Pradesh	Himachal Online Seva
Jammu & Kashmir	JK State e-Services
Jharkhand	Jharkhand e-District
Madhya Pradesh	MP e-District Portal
Maharashtra	Aaple Sarkar Portal
Manipur	e-District Portal
Meghalaya	e-District Portal
Mizoram	e-District Portal
Nagaland	e-District Portal
Odisha	e-District Portal
Punjab	Punjab State Portal
Rajasthan	e-Mitra Portal
Sikkim	e-Services Portal
Tamil Nadu	TN e-Sevai
Telangana	MeeSeva Portal
Tripura	e-District Portal
Uttarakhand	e-District Portal
Uttar Pradesh	e-Saathi Portal
West Bengal	WB e-District