New Delhi: Among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) those with an annual income of more than Rs.8 lakhs fall into the creamier category. They and their children will not be given the benefits of reservation.
Due to this, the backward parties have been demanding for a long time to increase the cream layer limit. In this case, Congress member Deen Kuriakos had raised a question in Parliament whether there is a plan to increase the cream layer limit from Rs.8 lakh to Rs.12 lakh. Union Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar’s response to this said, “The central government feels that the current limit of Rs. 8 lakh is sufficient. Hence, there is no plan to raise this limit,” he said.
In 1990, the recommendations of the Mandal Commission regarding reservation for backward classes were implemented. While a case was filed against this, in 1993, the Supreme Court ordered that the cream-layer system should be followed in the reservation.
At that time, the annual income limit was fixed at Rs.1 lakh for each person in Cream. The cream layer limit was raised to Rs 2.5 lakh in 2004, Rs 4.5 lakh in 2008, Rs 6 lakh in 2013 and Rs 8 lakh in 2017. Cremelayer range has not changed for last 4 years.
