EWS Quota : What Is The Difficulty In Publishing Forward Communities List? Kerala HC Asks State On NSS Plea

The petitioner, the Nair Service Society (NSS), on Wednesday alleged that the state government was lethargic in publishing the list, which was a requisite to apply for non-creamy layer certificates to avail economically weaker section (EWS) reservations.

Counsel for NSS, Advocate RT Pradeep, submitted that despite the list having been finalized as early as February last year and having received the assent of the legislature, the same has not yet been notified.

"Availing of EWS reservation is affected badly by the non-publication of the list", the Counsel contended.

Continuing, the Counsel stated,

"Reservation now provided (recognition of reservation for EWS by the government) is not coming to the benefit of the EWS because of the lethargy in implementing ..."

At this, Justice Nagaresh questioned the state on why the list remained unpublished. The Judge added that he had called upon the state to furnish reasons as to the non-publication on an earlier occasion as well.

Replying that the state needed more time, the Court asked whether the state was seeking more time to publish the list or file a statement explaining why there was a delay.

Upon being informed that the state was requesting time in respect of the latter, the Court asked why the list was not being published,

"What is the difficulty?..What is the problem?", Justice Nagaresh queried.

After further requests by the state, the Court directed that the matter be taken up on 15 March.

Along with the prayer seeking the publication of the forward communities list (which was an intervention appliation), the NSS has also sought reasons from the state as to why the State Public Services Commission has not effected the EWS reservations despite the government's notification of the same in January last year