OBC Creamy Layer Income Test: Panel Chief Urges Social Justice Ministry to Act
House panel chief Ganesh Singh says the Social Justice Ministry must frame the OBC creamy layer income-test policy per the Supreme Court's March ruling and take it to Cabinet.
The issue of applying the income test to determine the creamy layer among Other Backward Classes (OBCs) remains unresolved, caught between government departments, according to Ganesh Singh, chair of the parliamentary committee on OBC welfare.
Singh said the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry should now draft the policy based on the Supreme Court's interpretation of the income criterion, which was outlined in March. Once the policy is formulated, it should be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval.
The remarks highlight a procedural deadlock, with the committee chief pointing to the need for a clear policy direction. The Supreme Court's March reading is expected to serve as the legal basis for the new framework.
Singh's statement comes amid growing scrutiny of how the creamy layer threshold is calculated for OBC reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. The delay, he indicated, stems from inter-ministerial differences rather than a lack of clarity on the court's position.
The committee's intervention is aimed at breaking the logjam, with Singh urging the ministry to move swiftly so that the matter can be resolved at the highest executive level.