The Supreme Court of India raised concerns about whether children from families that have already benefited from reservation due to educational and economic progress should still receive reservation advantages. The court suggested that such families should be categorized in the creamy layer and excluded from further reservation benefits. Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan made these observations during a hearing on a petition challenging the exclusion of a candidate from OBC reservation for being in the creamy layer.
The Bench led by Justice Nagarathna remarked that reservation should not be perpetual once a family achieves social and economic advancement. The court questioned the need for reservations if both parents are IAS officers, emphasizing that with education and economic empowerment, there is social mobility. It highlighted the importance of reevaluating the rationale for extending reservation benefits to the next generation once families have progressed and are well-established in society.
The Supreme Court emphasized the necessity for balance in providing reservation benefits, especially when families have already advanced due to reservation policies. It stressed that social and educational backwardness should be considered, but once parents have benefited from reservation and are well-placed in society, the continuation of such benefits for the next generation needs to be reviewed. The court was hearing a case challenging the exclusion of a petitioner from reservation benefits under Category-II(A) for belonging to the creamy layer.
