Assess the implications of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced a ten per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), on the principle of equality and social justice in India.

The 103rd Constitutional Amendment amended Article 18c and 16c and provided for 10% reservation to Economically Weaker Sections EWS in general jobs and educational institutions. Implications for social justice: # Positive implications: (1) will help in ensuring social justice for poorer sections of society not falling under SC, ST, OBC. (2) Aid in poverty alleviation by ensuring better educational and employment opportunities. (3) will promote inter-generational social mobility. (4) In line with Directive Principles of State Policy that calls on state to ensure social justice through welfare stacks to ensure social justice.

Concerns raised by amendment: (1) Breaching of the 50% limit of reservation set in Indira Sawhney judgement. (2) The cutoff for EWS reservation has been set high to 8 lakhs. (3) Non-inclusion of SC, ST, OBC candidates in the 10% reservation of EWS. (4) Difficulty in ascertaining the real beneficiaries due to fraudulent income certificates. (5) Exclusion and inclusion essays away defeat the very proposes. Thus, while it a positive step towards social justice, loopholes in the issue of income certificates used to be timely plugged.