Delhi High Court Rejects EWS Plea for Age Relaxation in Govt Jobs, Says Policy Decision Lies with Legislature
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a significant plea seeking age relaxation and additional attempts for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) candidates in Central government jobs, including the Civil Services Examination.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anil Kshetarpal and Justice Amit Mahajan ruled that such demands fall strictly within the policy domain of the Legislature and Executive, and not within judicial review.
⚖️ Court’s Key Observation
The Court clearly stated that while the government has already provided 10% reservation to EWS through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, granting additional relaxations like age limit and number of attempts involves complex policy considerations.
According to the Bench, such decisions require:
- Administrative feasibility
- Financial implications
- Impact on existing reservation structures
Hence, courts cannot intervene in these legislative matters.
📌 EWS vs Other Reserved Categories
The Court emphasized a clear distinction between EWS and caste-based reservations such as SC, ST, and OBC.
- SC/ST/OBC reservations address historical and social discrimination
- EWS classification is based purely on economic disadvantage, which is considered temporary and changeable
Because of this difference, the Court held that EWS candidates cannot claim automatic parity with other reserved categories in terms of age relaxation or number of attempts.
📄 Background of the Case
The petition was filed by several EWS candidates challenging the government’s January 31, 2019 Office Memorandum, which placed EWS candidates at par with the general category in terms of:
- Age limit
- Number of attempts
They also challenged subsequent clarifications and the Civil Services Examination 2024 notification.
The petitioners argued that despite the 10% EWS quota, the absence of additional relaxations puts them at a disadvantage compared to OBC candidates.
❌ Court Rejects Demand for Parity
Rejecting the plea, the Court held that:
“EWS category cannot claim automatic parity with SC/ST/OBC in ancillary considerations such as age relaxation or enhanced attempts.”
The Bench reiterated that different categories may validly receive different benefits based on their nature and underlying rationale.
👩⚖️ Representation
- Petitioners were represented by advocates including Shivendra Singh, Sagar Devgan, Prakriti Rastogi, and Aryama Singh Rajput
- The Union Public Service Commission was represented by Ravinder Agarwal, Manish Kumar Singh, Vasu Agarwal, and Lekh Raj Singh
The ruling reinforces the principle that reservation policies and related relaxations are legislative choices, not judicial mandates. While EWS reservation remains valid, additional benefits like age relaxation will depend on future government policy decisions rather than court directions.
🔗 Read Full Judgment
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