Reservation Criteria in UG Admissions Explained

Reservation Criteria in UG Admissions Explained

When a student passes class 12th and thinks of taking admission in college, he has many questions in his mind. Especially when it comes to reservation, many students and their parents get confused about who can take this benefit, what is the percentage of reservation, and what are the necessary documents required for this.

What is Reservation?

Reservation means – giving some seats, opportunities, or benefits to those sections of the society which have long been considered socially or economically backward.

The objective of the government is that everyone gets equal opportunity, especially those who could not become a part of equality due to lack of resources or discrimination.

Why is reservation given in UG Admission?

It was observed in the higher education system of the country that some classes did not get adequate opportunities for education. To bring them on par, the government started the reservation policy.

The purpose of reservation is to –

• connect the backward classes with the mainstream,
• give them access to higher education,
• and reduce social inequality.

Which categories get reservation?

There are many types of reserved categories in UG admission in India, such as:

1. SC (Scheduled Castes) – Scheduled Caste
   These classes are considered to be socially very backward. Up to 15% seats are reserved for them in every college.
2. ST (Scheduled Tribes) – Scheduled Tribes
   These are the tribes who live in remote or backward areas of the country. There is also about 7.5% reservation for them.
3. OBC (Other Backward Classes) – Other Backward Classes
   OBC classes are economically and socially weak. About 27% reservation is fixed for them.
   
   Note: Only Non-Creamy Layer gets reservation in OBC. That is, if your parents’ income is less than a certain limit (currently ₹ 8 lakh annually), then only you will be considered eligible for OBC reservation.
4. EWS (Economically Weaker Section) – Economically Weaker Section
   Students coming under General Category (Unreserved) whose annual family income is less than ₹ 8 lakh, have 10% reservation.
5. PwD (Persons with Disabilities) – Disabled students
   About 5% seats are reserved for students who have physical, mental or other types of disabilities.

Reservation Percentage in UG Admissions

Category	Reservation Percentage
SC	15%
ST	7.5%
OBC-NCL	27%
EWS	10%
PwD	5% (separately for each category)

Note: This percentage may be slightly different in some states and universities. Like in Tamil Nadu, reservation for OBC is up to 50%.

Documents required to get reservation

If you want to avail reservation in UG admission, then you have to submit some important documents:

1. Caste Certificate
   SC, ST and OBC students need to show this.
   This certificate should be issued by SDM or Tehsil level officer.
2. Income Certificate
   Required for OBC Non-Creamy Layer and EWS.
   It shows that your family annual income is less than ₹8 lakh.
3. EWS certificate
   General category students need it whose income is limited.
   It is in a different format and is certified by the concerned officer.
4. PwD certificate
   If you are a disabled student, then it is necessary to get a certificate from a government hospital.

How does the reservation process work?

Suppose there are 100 seats in a college. So they will be distributed like this:

• 15 seats for SC
• 7 seats for ST
• 27 seats for OBC
• 10 seats for EWS

The remaining 41 seats go to General (Unreserved).

Apart from this, 5% seats are kept separately in every category for the PwD category.

Do General Category people also get reservation?

Yes, if you are from General Category and are Economically Weaker Section (EWS), then you can get the benefit of 10% reservation. For this, the documents mentioned above will be required.

Does reservation mean low merit?

No, reservation does not mean that someone’s merit is being ignored. All students are given admission according to a prescribed cut-off marks. The cut-off for reserved categories may be slightly lower, but it is important to be eligible.

Some important things that students should know

• You will get the benefit of reservation only if you have all the necessary documents.
• All certificates should be valid till the time of admission. Old or uncertified documents are not accepted.
• Different reservation policies are given on the website of every university, they should be read carefully.
• Reservation is not only available on seats, in some colleges, there is also a discount in fees.

Conclusion

For an undergraduate student wanting to seek admission in a college, it is most significant to understand the reservation policy. Not only would this give the right information, but it would also help you prepare all the necessary documents in time.

Whether you fall in SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or PwD category – if you are eligible and want to avail the benefits of reservation, then it can definitely give a new direction to your career.