What does the Centre’s opposition to creamy layer for SC/STs entail? | Explained
The Indian government has formally opposed the introduction of a 'creamy layer' exclusion for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Supreme Court. This follows a 2024 court judgment that allowed for sub-categorization within these groups to ensure equitable distribution of reservation benefits.
Why it matters
The debate over 'creamy layer' status for SC/ST communities is a highly sensitive political and legal issue regarding social justice and affirmative action in India.
Opposing a batch of petitions seeking a “creamy layer” exclusion from the reserved categories of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) (like that for Other Backward Classes), the Union government has recently reiterated in the Supreme Court of India that this concept of carving out exclusions within reserved categories was not applicable to the SC and ST classifications.
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