Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to draw attention to a "pressing issue affecting the OBC community" involving the stagnant income ceiling for the creamy layer, which needs to be revised.
"I draw your attention to a pressing issue affecting the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community: the stagnant income ceiling for the OBC creamy layer, which has been fixed at Rs 8 lakh since 2017. This outdated threshold no longer aligns with today's (in 2024) economic realities, disadvantaging many OBC youth who aspire to secure government jobs and other opportunities."
Terming the situation as injustice towards the OBC community, he attacked the Prime Minister, saying, "... The Prime Minister despite recognizing his OBC background, has yet to translate his promises into meaningful action, leading to growing disillusionment among the community."
The Congress MP has demanded that the government revise the income criteria to reflect current socio-economic conditions; Implement transparent policies to address disparities and ensure effective support, or else remove the creamy layer for OBCs, which have blocked the way for youth into the system; Enhance support for OBC youth through better educational and vocational training programmes.
"Our democracy's values of fairness and opportunity must be upheld. Let us move from promises to actionable reforms for a just and equitable society. Let us make social justice workable," Tagore said in the notice.
The annual income limit for the creamy layer for the OBCs was last revised in 2017 and has remained unchanged since then.
Currently, 27 per cent of government jobs and seats in academic institutions are reserved for OBCs. However, those with annual family income above Rs 8 lakh are considered the 'creamy layer' and excluded from these benefits. The income threshold is supposed to be raised every three years. The last hike was in 2017, and the previous threshold was Rs 6 lakh set in 2013.
In 2017, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the then Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virendra Kumar had said, "The annual income limit of the family from all sources for the EWS group of the General category for availing the benefit of reservation is fixed at Rs 8,00,000. The annual parental income limit for the sections of the Other Backward Classes, who do not fall with the other conditions prescribed for determination of Creamy Layer, is Rs 8 lakh.
(With inputs from IANS)
