India OBC Creamy Layer Ruling

The India — Supreme Court of India ruled that the 'creamy layer' status for reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category cannot be determined solely on parental income. The court emphasized that the posts and positions held by parents within their organizations must also be considered. This decision affirmed judgments from the India — Madras High Court, India — Kerala High Court, and India — Delhi High Court, which had allowed claims from candidates who were wrongly categorized as 'creamy layer' due to their parents' income from Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) or private employment. The India — Supreme Court of India dismissed appeals filed by the India — Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, stating that treating employees of private entities and PSUs differently from government employees in this context amounts to hostile discrimination. Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and R. Mahadevan delivered the ruling, highlighting that the 1993 Office Memorandum and the 2004 clarificatory letter, when read comprehensively, do not support an income-only criterion for creamy layer determination.