OBC quota: Creamy layer bar to go up
September 20, 2008: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Centre is making frenetic efforts to get the income criteria for creamy layer hiked before the next Supreme Court hearing to pre-empt dereservation of vacant OBC seats, as sharp reactions to the court directive from UPA allies have renewed ‘quota fears’ in the government.
Social justice ministry has moved a Cabinet note to hike the eligibility bar for availing quota from Rs 2.5 to Rs 4.5 lakh per annum. Sources said there was a push to bring the proposal to the next Cabinet meeting.
The urgency is rooted in the apex court’s directive on dereservation — that unfilled seats under OBC quota had to be opened up for general category.
Sources said if the revised income bar could be used for admissions of backward caste aspirants for 2008-09, then vacant seats were likely to be filled.
Sources said that the government was planning to bring the revised income ceiling before the apex court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan to try getting it enforced in the ongoing session, the inaugural year of OBC quota in central educational institutions.
The implementation of quota law has left scores of seats unfilled.
But, at the same time, insiders have blamed the vacancies on the Centre’s failure to revise the creamy layer criteria in time.
While the operation of revised income limit was not expected this year, as the National Commission for Backward Castes gave its recommendations on June 30, after the start of admission process, there is now a belated bid to get it enforced retrospectively.
Nudging the government for quick damage control, with his boss M Karunanidhi having shot off a letter to the PM expressing annoyance, minister for surface transport T R Baalu of the DMK has demanded that the creamy layer criteria be revised by September 29 when the case comes up for hearing in the apex court.
He also demanded that the Centre file a ¶suitable reply¶ to wrest the case in favour of OBC quota. Baalu’s letter to the PM is seen as a bid to keep up pressure on the Centre which has its share of anti-quota lobby.
It is, however, not clear how the Centre could get the apex court to roll back its directive on opening the vacant quota seats for general sections.
