Supreme Court Rejects Centre's Plea on OBC Creamy Layer, Orders Appointments for Successful Civil Services Candidates The Supreme Court has dismissed the Centre's review plea seeking to include agricultural income and salary in the OBC Creamy Layer calculation. The court directed the DoPT to immediately appoint successful Civil Services candidates whose postings were wrongfully withheld. In a landmark ruling regarding the OBC Creamy Layer standards, the Supreme Court has dismissed a review application filed by the Central Government. The apex court firmly upheld its earlier verdict rendered on March 11, reiterating that income derived from agricultural activities and salaries must not be factored in when determining an applicant's Creamy Layer status. Crucially, the bench commanded the Central Government and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to immediately issue appointment letters to all qualified Civil Services candidates across services such as the IAS, IPS, and IRS whose postings had been improperly withheld under erroneous interpretations of the criteria. Immediate Relief for Denied Civil Service Candidates The judgment brings massive relief to numerous successful candidates who cleared the rigorous Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission but were wrongly denied job allocation by the DoPT. Following the directives of the Supreme Court, candidates aspiring for prestigious administrative postings who were wrongfully categorized under the Creamy Layer will now receive their official appointments. Describing the verdict as a historic victory for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, lawyer Shashank Ratnoo remarked that the judicial clarity effectively concludes nearly a decade of systemic administrative injustice suffered by eligible aspirants. Exclusion of Salary and Farming Earnings The apex court reaffirmed that parental or familial earnings originating from agricultural land holdings cannot be merged into the financial evaluation used for Creamy Layer eligibility. The Central Government had approached the court seeking to include both salary and agricultural earnings within the ceiling calculation, a plea that was entirely turned down. Consequently, the legal status remains absolute: agricultural revenue will not contribute toward the designated annual Creamy Layer financial ceiling of Rs 8 lakh. How the Rs 8 Lakh Limit Is Calculated Under the prevailing framework, the Creamy Layer threshold for the OBC category is capped at an annual income of Rs 8 lakh. However, the computation of this ceiling relies strictly on specific non-salaried and non-agricultural revenue streams. According to established guidelines upheld by the court, only income generated from commercial business operations, real estate property, house rentals, and accumulated bank interest is taken into account. Furthermore, the financial eligibility across these permitted sources is evaluated by calculating the average annual income over the preceding 3 consecutive fiscal years. What this means for you This verdict directly impacts OBC aspirants and their families applying for the Civil Services Examination and other government recruitment schemes across India. • For Government Job Applicants: Excluding agricultural earnings and regular salary from the Rs 8 lakh annual income ceiling ensures that OBC candidates from rural and middle class backgrounds retain their reservation eligibility without improper disqualification. • For Civil Services Candidates: Aspirants who cleared the UPSC examination but faced arbitrary withholding of appointment letters by the DoPT will now receive immediate postings across the IAS, IPS, and IRS cadres. • For Income Certificate Applicants: Candidates applying for Non-Creamy Layer certificates only need to declare average non-salaried and non-agricultural earnings such as business profits, rent, and interest over the preceding 3 years. Why this happened The Supreme Court had previously clarified the definition of the Creamy Layer in its March 11 judgment, which the Central Government subsequently challenged through a modification plea. • Central Government's Stand: The government sought to include parental salary and agricultural land income while calculating the annual Rs 8 lakh ceiling for OBC reservation eligibility. • Existing Judicial Precedent: In its March 11 verdict, the Supreme Court had unequivocally ruled that farming income and salary income must remain excluded from the Creamy Layer income computation. • Misinterpretation by DoPT: The Department of Personnel and Training had withheld the final appointments of several successful Civil Services candidates based on an erroneous interpretation of the income criteria, prompting legal intervention. Questions & Answers 1. What did the Supreme Court decide regarding the OBC Creamy Layer plea? The Supreme Court dismissed the Centre's plea and reaffirmed that agricultural income and salary cannot be included to determine the Creamy Layer threshold. 2. What is the current income limit for the OBC Creamy Layer? The current annual income limit for the Creamy Layer in the OBC category is Rs 8 lakh per annum. 3. Which income sources are calculated for the Rs 8 lakh Creamy Layer limit? Only income from business, property, house rent, and bank interest is calculated based on the average of the last 3 consecutive years. 4. How does this judgment affect successful Civil Services candidates? Qualified candidates for IAS, IPS, IRS, and other services whose appointments were withheld by the DoPT will now receive immediate appointment letters. https://trendkia.com/en/national/obc-creamy-layer-mamale-men-centre-ki-arji-supreme-court-men-kharija-saphala-abhyarthiyon-ki-niyukti-ka-nirdesha-58356 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.