Gandhinagar: The ongoing Patel quota stir in Gujarat on Thursday prompted the state government to announce a package for the economically backward category (EBC) irrespective of caste including scholarship for students and age limit relaxation for its jobs.
The fee waiver in various slabs under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavlamban Yojna (Chief Minister's Youth Self-Reliance Scheme) would cost the government Rs 1,000 crore per year, Health Minister and government spokesperson Nitin Patel said.
The announcement by Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel was made in an apparent bid to pacify the Patels as well as other communities which at present do not get benefits of reservations.
Anandiben said the scheme unveiled on Thursday would cover students of all the categories, general/open as well as OBCs, SCs and STs. The criterion is that the annual family income of the beneficiary shouldn’t exceed Rs 4.5 lakh.
The students who secure 90 per cent or more in Class 12 will be eligible to get 50 per cent fee waiver with a ceiling of '2 lakh per year if they secure admission to self-financed medical colleges, where the fees range from Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 5.5 lakh, as per the scheme.
