No need to determine creamy layer in SC/ST: Law Minister

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said the government is of the view that there is no need to determine creamy layer in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as these communities have been "extremely deprived" for years.

Responding to the debate on 'The Constitution (126th) Amendment Bill' in Lok Sabha, Prasad referred to the issue of quota in government jobs, saying "we are of the view that is no need for a creamy layer for the SC and ST (communities)".

"We have made this stand very clear even before the Supreme Court that they have been extremely deprived and face discrimination," Prasad said.

A few days ago, the government had urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its stand that socially, educationally and economically advanced creamy layer of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) communities should be excluded from the benefits of reservation in government services.

Defending the Constitution (126th) Amendment Bill, he asserted that quota in legislatures for SCs and STs was required to build a new political leadership of the two communities.

The Bill, which seeks to extend the reservation for SC and ST communities in legislatures for 10 years, was passed by Lok Sabha on Tuesday.