The Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for quotas for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government job promotions, scrapping the need to collect “quantifiable data” reflecting the backwardness of these communities. Referring to a 2008 verdict, the Supreme Court disagreed with the ruling that the creamy layer did not apply to SCs and STs. This was interpreted as the court’s endorsement of the introduction of creamy layer in job promotions for members of the communities. Disallowing reservation in promotion in the name of creamy layer would prevent the representation of SCs and STs in higher positions in government jobs. Denying the limited (number of) candidates in the name of creamy layer will delay progress towards equality,” Krishnan said.

Source: The Telegraph September 26, 2018 21:50 UTC