PMK MP and youth-wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday urged the Centre to immediately withdraw the 10% quota for economically weaker sections (EWS), among the open-competition category, contending that it was making way for social injustice.
In a statement, he said that in the recently released SBI clerk preliminary exam results, the cut-off for the OBC/SC/ST category was 59.5%, while for the EWS, it was only 57.75%. Mr. Anbumani said that when he raised the issue last year, the Centre had unofficially said that the cut-off would be raised from this year. If the argument is that this year too, only a lesser number of EWS candidates appeared for the exams, then it should be interpreted that they have been given a higher quota, he said.
Opportunities meant for SC/ST and OBC candidates were going to EWS candidates, and this was dangerous and against the principle of social justice, Mr. Anbumani said.
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In a separate statement, PMK founder S. Ramadoss urged the State government to follow the example of the Andhra Pradesh government, which has set up a separate welfare board for 56 major castes under the backward classes category.
He pointed out that 263 castes were classified under the backward classes category, and a separate welfare board should be formed for those with a population higher than 30,000, and a person from that category should be appointed as head of the welfare board.
In a separate statement, Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani, pointing out the social injustice in the SBI clerk preliminary exam results, said the EWS quota was brought in for the welfare of the upper castes. He also said that parties like Congress and CPI(M), which voiced support for the EWS quota, should reconsider it. He also said that NEET too was benefitting only the upper castes.
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