SC rejects Centre’s plea on OBC creamy layer:Parents’ income alone cannot determine reservation eligibility, rules court

The Supreme Court has rejected the Centre’s plea seeking an exemption from implementing its March 11 judgment on the creamy layer criteria for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in reservations. In its March 11 ruling, the court held that parents’ income alone cannot be the sole criterion for determining whether an OBC candidate falls under the creamy layer. Their position and social status must also be taken into account. The Centre had sought an exemption from implementing the ruling for the 2025 and 2026 UPSC examinations, arguing that its immediate implementation could create administrative complications. Why did the Centre seek an exemption? The Centre argued that implementing the judgment immediately could lead to several administrative difficulties. It said determining equivalence between private-sector positions and government posts would require considerable time. In August, the government approached the Supreme Court seeking clarification on the judgment. It told the court that consultations with state governments and various government institutions could take up to two years. The Centre also warned that implementing the ruling could affect cadre allocation, service allocation, training and other administrative procedures for the Civil Services Examination 2025. According to the government, around 3.7 lakh OBC appointments have been made in the Central government, railways, banks, paramilitary forces and universities since 2016. Retrospective implementation of the ruling could trigger numerous disputes and legal challenges.