NEW DELHI: The Centre urged on Monday that the Supreme Court hear the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota case in the NEET-AIQ case on Tuesday, rather than January 6, citing urgency. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who presided over the bench, said he will approach Chief Justice N.V. Ramana about scheduling an early hearing.

Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General, stated the court that the matter is urgent and asked a hearing on Tuesday. Arvind Datar, a senior lawyer, also asked the court for a quick hearing. The case was previously heard by a three-judge bench, and the other two judges are now on a different bench, according to Justice Chandrachud. "I'll speak with the Chief Justice," Justice Chandrachud stated. The Supreme Court also ordered the Centre to provide petitioners with a copy of the report.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the Rs 8 lakh income threshold used to determine the EWS is far stricter than the one used to determine the OBC creamy layer. The report of a three-member group formed to review the EWS criteria has been accepted by the Centre. "First, the EWS criteria apply to the financial year preceding to the year of application," the panel wrote in its report, "whereas the income criterion for the creamy layer in the OBC category applies to gross annual income for three consecutive years."

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