Jaipur/Jodhpur, Oct. 18 -- Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday said the Centre was discussing changes to the eligibility criteria for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation and expressed hope that a solution would be found soon. Speaking to reporters at the Jodhpur Circuit House, Shekhawat said, "A meeting had recently been held on the issue." He argued that the existing eligibility provisions did not adequately account for the circumstances of families dependent on agriculture. The culture and tourism minister described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to introduce 10% EWS reservation as a historic step and said he had raised the issue several times in the Lok Sabha in 2014-15. However, he said: "The current criteria were unfair to some rural families whose sole livelihood was farming, as well as families living in cities but dependent on agricultural income." Organisations representing General-caste communities have been demanding changes to the agricultural income and landholding criteria for EWS eligibility. They argue that land ownership alone does not reliably indicate a family's financial position, particularly in areas where agricultural productivity is low. Shekhawat said the matter had been raised with the government earlier, but a decision could not be reached while a special leave petition filed by Youth for Equality was pending before the Supreme Court. The petition had now been disposed of, he said. Any revision would have to take circumstances across the country into account, he added, noting that some states favoured retaining the existing provisions. Under the current rules, eligibility for EWS reservation is subject to an annual family income limit of Rs.8 lakh, including earnings from agriculture, business, salaries and professional work. Some upper-caste organisations have long demanded the exclusion of agricultural income from this calculation and the removal of the five-acre agricultural landholding restriction. Relaxing these conditions, they say, would benefit families currently excluded from the reservation. The demand has also been raised by independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati, who recently sought simpler EWS eligibility rules and employment opportunities for local youth. Shekhawat's statement comes ahead of the Panchayati Raj elections, following the BJP's weaker-than-expected performance in urban local body polls in areas considered its strongholds. On constitutional recognition for the Rajasthani language, Shekhawat said he had supported the demand since 1991 and described it as a matter of identity for Rajasthan's people. He said more than 32 proposals seeking recognition for different languages were pending and that the relevant department of the Union home ministry was examining the matter. Discussions were continuing at the government level, he added. Shekhawat also cited the presence and recognition of Rajasthani, Bhoti and Bhojpuri outside India as grounds for strengthening their claims. He said Rajasthani had gained recognition in Nepal, Bhoti in Himalayan countries and Bhojpuri in several countries through communities descended from indentured Indian workers. Shekhawat said the BJP wanted to add a "third engine" of local governance to its governments at the Centre and in Rajasthan by winning rural local bodies. He claimed the party had already achieved this in urban areas, forming boards in more than 70% of the state's municipal bodies. Calling it the party's best performance at the time, Shekhawat expressed confidence that it would improve on that result in the upcoming polls....