HC asks for separate merit list for EWS women candidates in 2021 recruitment of officers in UP

Prayagraj, May 26 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has directed the state government to prepare a merit list for women EWS candidates, separate from the general category list, in the 2021 recruitment of sub inspectors (civil police) and platoon commanders of the PAC and fire services.
     The court held that since the merit list clubbed both the categories, only 34 women from the Economical Weaker Section (EWS) benefited despite a 20 per cent horizontal reservation for women.
     Justice SS Shamshery said passed the order while allowing a bunch of pleas filed by petitioner Neha Sharma and 53 others.
     "The state has accepted that seats for women horizontal reservation under open (general) category (722) and seats from woman horizontal reservation under Economical Weaker Section category (181) were clubbed together and in total 903 seats were allotted to women and thus claimed that entire reservation of women in both said categories was satisfied," the judge said.
     The counsel appearing for petitioners argued that the state government wrongly clubbed the reservation meant for women in open category and EWS.
     "Therefore, though the total number of seats reserved for women were filled but still only 34 women under EWS quota were benefited of reservation instead of 181 seats for which women of EWS quota were entitled," the lawyer said.
     The court, in its judgement dated May 23, said that the state failed to show any provision, order or government order that instead of applying for reservation for women independently and separately under open category and EWS, they could club both reservations.
     The clubbing of the merit list could "lead a situation as in present case that only 34 women under EWS quota benefited despite horizontal reservation instead of 181.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)