HC issues notices on pleas on income limit hike for OBC quota

The Gujarat High Court today issued notices to the State and Central Governments on a PIL challenging the recommendation of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) for increasing annual income limit for OBCs from Rs six lakh to Rs 12 lakh to avail quota benefits.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi also issued notices to NCBC on a petition by one Manibhai Patel who said the Commission's recommendation to include candidates with family income of Rs 12 lakh in urban areas and Rs 9 lakh in rural areas for availing quotas will affect benficiaries with lower family income.

A candidate with Rs 1 lakh per month family income should not be given the benefit of reservation as this will adversely affect poorer candidates, he contended.
In 2015, NCBC had recommended that the family income limit be raised to Rs 12 lakh for urban and Rs 9 lakh for rural OBC candidates seeking quota benefits in jobs and education.
The NCBC has been revising annual family income slab limit for the creamy layer among OBCs at regular intervals, the PIL said.
In 1993, OCBC candidates with family income limit of up to Rs 1 lakh could avail the quota benefits, which was revised upwards to Rs 2.5 lakh in 2004 and Rs 4.5 lakh in 2008, it said.

In 2006, it was further revised upwards to Rs 6 lakh, it said.