Overview
- - A Delhi High Court division bench of Justices Anil Kshetrapal and Amit Mahajan dismissed petitions from Economically Weaker Section candidates seeking the same age and attempt relaxations given to SC, ST and OBC aspirants.
- - The court upheld the Union policy as lawful and not arbitrary, stressing that EWS is an economic category distinct from caste-based social and educational backwardness.
- - The judges said decisions on extra attempts or higher age caps require assessments of administration, costs and effects on the reservation system, which are matters for the executive and legislature.
- - Petitioners challenged the DoPT memo of January 31, 2019, the 2022 FAQs and the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 notification, but the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2024 themselves offer no EWS relaxations and were not challenged.
- - The bench noted that state policies, including examples where EWS relaxations exist, do not bind the Centre, so EWS aspirants remain subject to the general age and attempt limits unless the government changes its policy.