Creamy layer to be excluded from ambit of OBC quotas

Government has decided to exclude the socially and economically advanced among the OBCs from the ambit of 27 per cent quota for them in higher educational institutions. "Whatever the Supreme Court has suggested, we will try and implement it," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here about the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs last evening.

He said the view in the government was quite clear and it wanted to make a distinction between opportunities of higher education and those available for job reservation.

"The creamy layer concept was intended for job reservation ... The 93rd amendment is for educational opportunites to be open to all OBCs, including those belonging to the creamy layer," he said, adding that now the apex court has ruled that the creamy layer among OBCs was not entitled to the benefit of quotas in higher educational institutions.

The decision is expected to help the HRD ministry to issue a communication to higher educational institutions, including the IIMs, which had earlier decided to put on hold the admission process.

The Supreme Court had last week upheld the controversial law providing 27 per cent quota for OBCs in IITs, IIMs and other Central educational institutions but excluded the creamy layer from its ambit.