Tamil Nadu CM asks PM to continue with current OBC reservation policy

The government had reserved 27 per cent of the vacancies in civilian posts and services falling under its purview for the OBCs to be filled through direct recruitment

Tamil Nadu on Wednesday asked th Centre to continue with the existing policy of determining the creamy layer by excluding agricultural and salary income. The state also suggested that the government consider providing OBC reservations by following the Tamil Nadu model, which would benefit the backward classes across the country equitably and render complete social justice.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami quoted media reports stating that the government was contemplating the revision of the criteria for creamy layer among OBCs by including salary and agricultural income.  These are currently excluded from the calculation of income for the purpose of determining the creamy layer for OBCs.
 

The government had reserved 27 per cent of the vacancies in civilian posts and services falling under its purview for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to be filled through direct recruitment, subject to the condition that the aforesaid reservation shall not be applied to persons/sections specified as creamy layer from amongst OBCs.
 

There are six criteria for assessing the persons to be excluded as creamy layer within OBCs. One of the criteria specifies income limit for exclusion from the OBC category. The income limit of the parents for the wards to whom OBC status can be claimed, was fixed at Rs 1 lakh per annum initially in the year 1993. Subsequently, the income limit was revised Rs 8 lakh with effect from September 1, 2017.
 

If salary and agricultural income of the parents are considered to be a part of the overall income of the parents, this would disallow OBC status to several deserving OBC candidates from availing reservation in jobs, as well as welfare schemes under the Central government.