Supreme Court to examine exclusion of creamy layer from SC/ST reservations; bench orders notice on PIL

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will examine in detail whether the creamy layer should be applied to SC/ST categories. A bench of Chief Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi has ordered a notice to the central government on a public interest litigation filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

The petition pointed out that not applying the creamy layer to the Scheduled Castes is a violation of fundamental rights, including 'equality of opportunity'. While serving as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, B.R. Gavai had taken the stand that excluding the economically and socially developed members of the SC/ST communities is the only way to achieve "real equality as enshrined under the Constitution".