SC asks Centre to respond to pleas on creamy layer exclusion for SCs, STs

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to file its response to the pleas seeking a direction to lay down criteria for exclusion of creamy layer of Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes from availing benefits of reservation in admissions and public employment.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria was hearing the petitions filed by O P Shukla and the Samta Andolan Samiti seeking enforcement of the landmark judgement of August 1, 2024 on reservation.

It asked the Centre to file its response on the pleas and said that they will be taken up after some time.

The creamy layer principle was laid down in the famous Mandal Commission judgement and under the principle, the affluent people among OBCs were barred from taking quota benefits in admissions and jobs.

In a landmark verdict, a seven-judge constitution bench headed by the then Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, by a majority of 6:1, held that states are constitutionally empowe