The Supreme Court has decided to examine a plea to introduce a “system”, similar to the creamy layer concept in Other Backward Classes (OBC), to achieve equitable distribution of reservation benefits among Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) communities.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Union government on a petition filed by Ramashankar Prajapati highlighting that the current reservation policy disproportionately benefitted groups within the SC/ST who were already well-off and enjoying social clout, while the most deprived members continued to swirl in the cycle of extreme poverty.
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“There is an urgent need to integrate economic criteria into the reservation policy,” Mr. Prajapati, represented by advocates Sandeep Singh and Reena N. Singh, submitted in court.
The petition sought the introduction of a two-tier reservation system to be implemented within SC/ST categories, prioritising individuals from economically weaker sections before extending benefits to those who are relatively well-off.
