Creamy layer cap may be Rs 8 lakh

The Centre is likely to raise the creamy layer ceiling for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from the present annual salary of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.

If the government goes ahead with this proposal, families earning over Rs 8 lakh will not be eligible to seek OBC reservation benefits in government jobs and admissions in institutes of higher education. The government has reserved 27 per cent seats for the OBCs.

Increasing annual salary bar from existing Rs 6 lakh to Rs 8 lakh would bring more backward class aspirants under the reservation net and increase competition in jobs and admission to educational institutions like IITs and IIMs.

Recently, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) had recommended the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to increase the creamy layer ceiling for OBCs from the existing annual salary of Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10.50 lakh.

The creamy layer bars the affluent among the OBCs from reservation benefit on the basis of family income.

Though the commission suggestion is not binding on the government for implementation, sources in the Ministry of Social Justice told Deccan Herald that it is studying it and trying to maintain balance. Instead of Rs 10.50 lakh as recommended by the commission, the government is thinking on limiting it to Rs 8 lakh per annum, the sources said.

Taking into note the poor representation of backward classes in the central government jobs, the NCBC also recommended in its report that qualifying standards will be relaxed for the OBCs to fill the 27 per cent seats.

A senior official in the commission said despite reservations, most of the seats for the OBCs in premier educational institutions such as IITs and IIMs have remained vacant and also in government jobs.