EWS Certificate — Eligibility, Income Criteria & How to Apply (2026)

The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation, introduced by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment in 2019, entitles candidates from the general (non-SC, non-ST, non-OBC) category to 10% reservation in central government jobs and central educational institutions, subject to specific income and asset criteria.

Income criterion

Family gross annual income (from all sources including salary, agriculture, business and profession) should be less than ₹8 lakh for the financial year preceding the application. Income is computed for the entire family — applicant, parents, spouse, siblings below 18 and unmarried daughters.

Asset criteria (all must be satisfied)

• 5 acres of agricultural land or more — disqualifies (excludes Asset 1)
• Residential flat of 1,000 sq ft or more — disqualifies
• Residential plot of 100 sq yards or more in notified municipalities — disqualifies
• Residential plot of 200 sq yards or more in non-notified municipalities — disqualifies

Documents required

• Aadhaar of applicant
• PAN card
• Ration card or BPL card
• Income proof — Form 16, ITR, salary certificate, agriculture income statement
• Land records — patta, khata, encumbrance certificate
• Self-declaration of caste being general (non-SC/ST/OBC)
• Passport size photographs

Issuing authority

EWS certificate is issued by the Tehsildar, SDM, Revenue Officer, or Sub-Collector of the district. The certificate format is prescribed by the DoPT and is uniform across India.

Step-by-step application

Visit your state's e-district portal or the Tehsildar office, fill the prescribed form, upload supporting documents, pay the application fee (typically ₹20–₹100), and submit. The Tehsildar verifies the income and asset declarations through local enquiry and issues the certificate within 15–30 days.

Validity period

EWS certificate is valid for one financial year. For each fresh application (UPSC, SSC, IBPS, NEET, JEE, university admissions), a certificate issued within the current financial year is required.

Where EWS reservation applies

• UPSC Civil Services and other central government recruitments
• SSC, IBPS, RRB and other central recruitment exams
• Central educational institutions including IITs, NITs, IIMs, AIIMS, central universities
• NEET admissions in central institutions
• State government recruitments where states have adopted EWS reservation

Common reasons for rejection

Combined family income exceeding ₹8 lakh, ownership of agricultural land exceeding 5 acres, ownership of large residential properties, mismatched documents, and certificates issued by unauthorised officials are the top rejection reasons.