Ministry moves to revise creamy layer income criterion
October 3. 2008: The Indian Express
The annual income limit for determining the creamy layer among the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) is set to go up from the present Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh. A proposal in this regard from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is scheduled to come before the Cabinet on Friday. The raise in the income ceiling for the creamy layer has been according to the recommendations of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
The Indian Express was the first to report that the NCBC has recommended the revision of the annual income ceiling for creamy layer among the OBCs from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh. The NCBC had submitted its recommendations to the Centre on July 1 this year.
The revised income ceiling will mean that benefits of reservations in Central educational institutions and jobs in Central Government will be availed by a much larger section of the OBCs. The Centre is in a hurry to implement the revised ceiling in view of the recent Supreme Court directive and also with an eye on the polls. Once it is approved by the Cabinet, it will be communicated to the HRD and DOPT Ministry for issuing appropriate orders to Central educational institutions and regarding employment in Central Government.
This will be the second revision of the income criteria for the creamy layer. The first was undertaken in 2004 that raised the upper limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. Then, however, the benefits of reservation were limited to jobs. Efforts for a second revision of the income limit came after the HRD Ministry enacted the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, in January, 2007, to provide 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in Central educational institutions. The Supreme Court stayed the decision and in its final judgment upheld the Act subject to exclusion of better offs or ¶creamy layer¶ among OBCs. Thereafter, the NCBC was asked to review the existing income ceiling to determine the creamy layer and submit its report.
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