Explanation:

A committee has examined the criteria for determining who is to be included as EWS, and its report is part of the Centre’s affidavit before the SC.
Ajay Bhushan Pande Committee

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced the committee to “revisit the criteria for determining the economically weaker sections” in terms of the provisions of the explanation to Article 15 of the Constitution.
• It comprised former finance secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Indian Council for Social Sciences Research (ICSSR) member secretary V K Malhotra, and Principal Economic Advisor to the Government of India Sanjeev Sanyal.

Recommendations of the Panel

• The “threshold of Rs 8 lakh of annual family income, in the current situation, seems reasonable for determining EWS”.
• It recommends: “The current gross annual family income limit for EWS of Rs. 8.00 lakh or less may be retained.”
• EWS may, however exclude, irrespective of income, a person whose family has 5 acres of agricultural land and above.
• The committee has removed criteria that excluded some categories from EWS: owners of residential properties of 1,000 sq ft and above; residential plots of 100 sq yards and above in notified municipalities; and residential plots of 200 sq yards and above in areas other than the notified municipalities.

Hence option 1st is correct.