Gandhinagar: Gujarat govt is considering raising the annual family income ceiling for welfare schemes meant for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) among the general category to Rs 10 lakh, a move that could significantly widen eligibility for educational and self-employment assistance.The social justice and empowerment department has begun revising the income criteria for schemes run through the Gujarat Unreserved Educational and Economical Development Corporation (GUEEDC). Senior govt officials told TOI that the ceiling, unchanged since the corporation was set up nearly a decade ago, is likely to rise from the current Rs 6 lakh for most schemes to Rs 10 lakh.“The department has begun an exercise to examine the extent to which the annual family income limit can be enhanced for youth from unreserved classes. The ceiling is expected to be raised to Rs 10 lakh,” a source familiar with the development said, adding that an announcement is likely in the coming weeks.At present, most GUEEDC schemes prescribe an income limit of Rs 6 lakh, while a few permit applicants earning up to Rs 8 lakh. Officials said the revision aims to bring benefits for the general category classes on par with those offered to scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs) and other backward classes (OBCs).The government is also weighing the introduction of collateral-free loans under GUEEDC. While several loan schemes for SC and ST beneficiaries require no mortgage, none of the loans extended by GUEEDC are currently collateral-free.“In several schemes for SCs and STs, loans are provided without requiring a mortgage. However, no such provision exists under GUEEDC schemes. This is also being looked at,” an official said.GUEEDC offers financial assistance for higher education abroad, self-employment ventures and other purposes to eligible members of the unreserved classes.The corporation was established in September 2017 following widespread agitations by the unreserved category—particularly the Patidar community—demanding greater access to educational and economic support. It has since functioned as the nodal agency for implementing targeted welfare schemes for economically weaker sections among the unreserved classes.If approved, the twin reforms would mark the most substantial expansion of GUEEDC’s mandate since its inception, potentially bringing thousands more families within the ambit of state assistance and easing access to credit for aspiring students and entrepreneurs from the unreserved classes.
