SC questions reservation benefits for children of IAS officers and affluent families

The Supreme Court on Friday (May 22) asked why children from economically and educationally advanced families within backward classes should be granted reservation despite there being social mobility due to educational and economic empowerment.

Questions continued reservation benefits

The question was raised by a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan during the hearing of a plea challenging a Karnataka High Court verdict upholding the exclusion of the petitioner, whose parents are both state government employees, from reservation.

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"If both parents are IAS officers, why should they have reservations? With educational and economic empowerment, there is social mobility. So then again, to seek reservation for the children, we will never get out of it," stated the bench while issuing notice in relation to the case.

Judges cite social mobility concerns

The apex court further stated that if parents of children are employed with handsome salaries, then the children should get out of reservation.

The court said several orders passed by the government already provide for the exclusion of such affluent sections from reservation benefits, but they are being challenged now.

Bench stresses need for balance

"For the Economically Weaker Section and Disadvantaged Group, there is no social backwardness but only economic backwardness. There has to be some balance. Socially and educationally backward, yes, but once the parents have attained a level because of taking advantage of reservation," the bench said.

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The petitioner was selected for appointment as an assistant engineer (electrical) in the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited under the reserved category.

The District Caste and Income Verification Committee, however, denied him a caste validity certificate after concluding that he fell within the creamy layer.

Committee flags creamy layer status

The authorities noted that both parents were government employees and that their combined income exceeded the prescribed creamy layer threshold.

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The classification of the petitioner as belonging to the creamy layer was based on the income of his parents, who are salaried employees and whose combined income allegedly exceeded Rs 8,00,000.

Consequently, the caste certificate issued to the petitioner, certifying him as belonging to the Kuruba community, was revoked.

Earlier ruling on SC/ST quotas

Earlier in January 2025, the top court in a separate case had refused to entertain a plea seeking the exclusion of children of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) reservation benefits in Madhya Pradesh.

It said the reference to the exclusion of the creamy layer from SC and ST quotas in a seven-judge Constitution bench's August 2024 ruling in the State of Punjab versus the Davinder Singh case was only a view and the legislature has to decide in this regard.

(With agency inputs)