OBC quota: Parl panel suggests raising of creamy layer ceiling to ₹15L

As several political parties have been demanding the scrapping of creamy layer from the reservation granted to Other Backward Class (OBC), a parliamentary committee has made some recommendations like not including salary and agricultural revenue while calculating the ceiling for the creamy layer and raising this limit to ₹15 lakh from ₹8 lakh.

The parliamentary standing on the welfare of backward classes, chaired by BJP MP Ganesh Singh, has released its report on ‘Rationalisation of Creamy Layer in Employment for OBCs in Services and Posts under the control of Government of India’.

Vishambhar Prasad Nishad, who is member of the panel said the general opinion of all members of the panel was to increase the ceiling limit of creamy layer from ₹8 lakh to ₹15 lakh as it drastically reduces the number of candidates from OBCs eligible for 27 per cent reservation in government jobs and for admissions in educational institutions.

Sources said some members in the committee were not in agreement with the concept of creamy layer, suggesting that the reservation was based on social backwardness and not on economic disparity. At present OBCs are eligible for 27 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs, barring those who come under the creamy layer category with an annual income of more than ₹8 lakh.

Meanwhile, the government is considering to revise the creamy layer ceiling for OBCs quota to ₹12 lakh from ₹8 lakh at present.

(With inputs from agencies)