Top court to hear plea on creamy layer exclusion from SC/ST quota, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea regarding the exclusion of the creamy layer from reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
• A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant issued a notice to the Central Government regarding the plea.
• The petition, filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, has been tagged with a pending petition concerning reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Detailed Insights:

• The plea argues that the non-exclusion of the creamy layer from SC/ST reservations violates multiple articles of the Constitution, including those ensuring equality and justice.
• The petitioner contends that the current system impacts social, economic, and political spheres, hindering the achievement of constitutional goals.
• The creamy layer concept aims to ensure that the benefits of reservation reach the most deserving within the SC/ST communities, preventing the affluent from cornering the advantages.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Creamy Layer: Refers to members of a backward class who are considered advanced and no longer eligible for reservation benefits.
• Scheduled Castes (SC): Officially designated groups of historically disadvantaged communities in India.
• Scheduled Tribes (ST): Officially recognized tribal communities in India, often with distinct cultural identities and facing socio-economic challenges.