**Executive Summary:**
The Constitution One Hundred and Third Amendment Act, 2019, published on July 17, 2019, and effective from a date to be determined by the Central Government, amends the Constitution of India. It provides for reservations for economically weaker sections (EWS) of citizens in educational institutions and government jobs, in addition to the existing reservations. It aims to promote the advancement of economically weaker sections of citizens.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Amendment Details:** The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.
* **Article 15 Amendment:**
* Allows the State to make special provisions for the advancement of economically weaker sections (EWS) of citizens, different from those mentioned in clauses 4 and 5.
* Permits special provisions for EWS admission in educational institutions, including private institutions (excluding minority institutions referred to in Article 30(1)), whether aided or unaided by the State.
* Limits reservations to a maximum of ten percent of the total seats in each category, in addition to existing reservations.
* Defines "economically weaker sections" as those notified by the State based on family income and other indicators of economic disadvantage.
* **Article 16 Amendment:**
* Enables the State to make provisions for reservation of appointments and posts in favor of economically weaker sections of citizens, not covered in clause 4.
* Caps reservations at a maximum of ten percent of the posts in each category, in addition to existing reservations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders Impacted:** Citizens (specifically Economically Weaker Sections), State, Educational Institutions, Employers.
**Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)**
* Impact: EWS citizens are provided with opportunities for education and employment through reservations.
* Action Required: EWS citizens should ascertain their eligibility based on criteria to be notified by the State regarding family income and economic disadvantage.
**State**
* Impact: The State is empowered to create provisions for reservations for EWS and define the criteria for identifying EWS.
* Action Required: The State needs to notify the criteria for identifying EWS based on family income and other indicators. The state also needs to implement reservations for EWS in educational institutions and employment.
**Educational Institutions**
* Impact: Educational institutions (excluding minority institutions) are required to implement reservations for EWS in admissions, up to a maximum of ten percent of seats in each category, in addition to existing reservations.
* Action Required: Educational institutions must adjust their admission processes to accommodate the EWS reservation, adhering to the ten percent limit.
**Employers (Government)**
* Impact: Government employers need to implement reservations for EWS in appointments and posts, up to a maximum of ten percent of posts in each category, in addition to existing reservations.
* Action Required: Government employers must adjust their hiring processes to accommodate the EWS reservation, adhering to the ten percent limit.
Key Entities Referenced
The Constitution One Hundred and Third Amendment Act, 2019: This is the short title of the act which amends the Constitution of India.
New Delhi: The city where the Ministry of Law and Justice is located and where the notification is published from.
Ministry of Law and Justice: The ministry responsible for publishing the Hindi translation of the Amendment Act.
President of India: The authority under which the Hindi translation of the Amendment Act is published.
Constitution of India: The document being amended by the Constitution One Hundred and Third Amendment Act, 2019.
Article 394A: The article of the Constitution of India under which the Hindi translation is deemed the authoritative text.
Parliament of India: The legislative body that enacted the amendment.
Article 15: Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which is amended to include provisions for the advancement of economically weaker sections of citizens.