CREAMY LAYER : A MISTAKEN VERSION OF OBC RESERVATIONS

The word 'Creamy Layer' was introduced in 1971 to demarcate the wealthier part of the society and to exclude them from availing the reservations granted in various governmental jobs and educational institutions for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). 

      This definition was redefined properly by the Supreme Court of India in 1993 by drawing lines of exclusion for constitutional functionaries like The President , Vice President , Judges of the Supreme Court and High courts, employees of Central and State bureaucracies above a certain level, Public Sector Employees, Members of the armed forces and paramilitary personnel above the rank of colonel. The wards of persons engaged in trade, industry and professions such as a doctor, lawyer, chartered accountant, income tax consultant, financial or management consultant, dental surgeon, engineer, architect, computer specialist, film artists and other film professional, author, playwright, sports person, sports professional, media professional or any other vocations of like status whose annual income is more than 450,000.

The Mis-interpretation of 4.5 Lakh Income Limit.

·        The Income criteria is applicable only on parents income/ the post he or she holds. People wrongly assume that they don't belong to OBC category just because their own income is greater than 6 lakh. Note that your income or your husbands income doesn't matter while deciding the Creamy layer status. 

·        Secondly the Official Memorandum (OM) states that the income from salary and agriculture income cannot be CLUBBED. This is mistaken as ‘either income from salary is taken into account or income from agriculture’. But this is a misconception, they have nowhere used 'either/or' in the sentence to mean what people usually assume.

·        Thirdly, income limit criterion doesn't apply for the employees of Central and State governments. For government employees only their position in the office is the criterion for non-creamy layer status. Excluding all Class I employees and direct recruits of Class II cadre, all other govt. servants having income greater than 4.5 lakhs are still eligible for the OBC non creamy layer certificates. Also to note that if an employee gets promoted to Class I cadre after his 40 years of age, his children still come under non-creamy layer, so note that 4.5 lakh criterion thus applies only for business class not for salaried government working class.

·        It is very unfortunate that even the competent authorities, who issue the non-creamy layer certificates are under this misinterpretation and reject the applications made by the candidate for wrong reasons.

·        Please download the copies of OM available on National Commision for Backward Classes website and talk to the concerned authorities with proper proofs.

Update: Income limit is raised from 4.5 lpa to 6.0 lpa

References: OBC commision website  please visit to check all the detailed official memorandum

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE IS IN REFERENCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT POLICY OF RESERVATION IN CENTRAL GOVT POSTS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES AND NOT OF STATE GOVERNMENT. INDIVIDUAL STATE GOVERNMENT HAVE THEIR OWN POLICIES