The Supreme Court on Friday raised a critical question about whether children of economically and educationally advanced families within backward classes should continue to avail reservation benefits under the OBC category. The bench, comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, expressed concern over the perpetuation of reservation benefits across generations despite social mobility.
Key Observations by the Supreme Court
During the hearing, the court remarked, 'If both parents are IAS officers, why should they have reservations? With education and economic empowerment, there is social mobility. So then again to seek reservation for the children, we will never get out of it. That is a matter we have to be concerned about.' The court further questioned the purpose of reservation if the beneficiaries continue to seek it for their offspring. 'The parents have studied, they are in good jobs, they are getting good income, and the children want reservation again. See, they should get out of reservation,' the bench added.
Plea Challenging Denial of Caste Validity Certificate
The observations came while the court was hearing a plea filed by a person who was selected for appointment as an assistant engineer (electrical) in the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation under the reserved category. However, the district caste and income verification committee denied him a caste validity certificate after concluding that he fell within the creamy layer. The creamy layer concept refers to the relatively advanced members within a backward class who are not entitled to reservation benefits.
The bench indicated that wards of well-off families should be kept out of the purview of OBC quota to ensure that reservation serves its intended purpose of uplifting the truly disadvantaged. The court's remarks highlight the ongoing debate over the effectiveness and fairness of reservation policies in India, particularly regarding the exclusion of the creamy layer from OBC benefits.
