Supreme Court rules 'creamy layer' must be excluded from SC/ST reservations
New Delhi: In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has mandated that the 'creamy layer' among Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) be excluded from reservation benefits. This decision aims to ensure that reservations reach those who are genuinely disadvantaged within these communities.
Currently, the 'creamy layer' concept applies exclusively to reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Court’s judgment, delivered by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela Trivedi, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma, allows for the sub-classification of SCs and STs. Justice Trivedi was the sole dissenting voice.
The ruling requires states to develop a policy to identify and exclude the creamy layer among SCs and STs. Justice Gavai emphasized that this step is crucial for achieving true equality as guaranteed by the Constitution. He argued that individuals from SC backgrounds who have benefited from reservations should not be compared to those who have not received such benefits.
Justice Vikram Nath supported this view, asserting that the creamy layer principle applicable to OBCs should also be extended to SCs. Justice Pankaj Mithal proposed that reservations should be limited to the first generation, with subsequent generations not being eligible if the first generation has already benefited from them.
Justice Satish Chandra Sharma concurred with Justice Gavai, asserting that identifying the creamy layer within SCs and STs should be a constitutional imperative.
The ruling builds on the 2018 decision in Jarnail Singh v. Lacchmi Narain Gupta, where the Court had observed that applying the creamy layer principle to SCs and STs does not alter the Presidential List under Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution. Justice RF Nariman, in that case, noted that the purpose of reservations is to uplift backward classes to ensure they can compete equally with other citizens, which is undermined if the creamy layer within these classes monopolizes reservation benefits.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
