OBC reservations: Should ‘creamy layer’ be junked in favour of sub-categorisation? | In Focus podcast
This podcast episode explores the legal and social complexities surrounding the 'creamy layer' doctrine in OBC reservations in India. It discusses the Supreme Court's recent criticisms of the government's implementation and considers whether sub-categorization is a more effective policy.
Why it matters
The debate over reservation policies significantly impacts social equity, civil service recruitment, and political discourse in India.
The implementation of the creamy layer doctrine for OBC reservations has been beset with complications. A Supreme Court judgement on March 11 essentially held that Union government has been doing it all wrong all these years, and that their income/wealth test was subjecting a section of OBC applicants to “hostile discrimination”.
The Supreme court gave the government six months to implement its order with regard to the litigants. But the government has told the court that it will be too complicated to implement its order retrospectively. For instance, one immediate concern: what happens with the results of the 2025 civil services exams that were declared on March 6?
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