Govt. says ‘creamy layer’ not applicable to SC, ST quota

• The Union Cabinet recently categorically asserted that the principle of creamy layer does not apply to reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Highlights:

• On August 1, the Supreme Court had ruled in a 6:1 majority judgment that States were permitted to sub-classify communities within the SC list based on empirical data, to grant quotas within the reserved category to uplift those who belong to the more underprivileged castes.
• However, Justice B. R. Gavai had said that States must evolve a policy for identifying the “creamy layer” even among the SCs and STs and deny them the benefit of reservation.
• Delegation of MPs had requested the Prime Minister not to consider the opinion of four judges who had advocated the application of a ‘creamy layer’ principle within the SC quota.
• Prime Minister agreed with the feelings expressed by the delegation of MPs and said that he was committed to not applying the creamy layer within the SC category.

Prelims Takeaway

• Creamy layer