Govt opposes exclusion of creamy layer in admission

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) The Central Government today took a stand in the Supreme Court that the creamy layer among OBCs cannot be excluded from the benefits of reservation in admisssion to educational institutions.

The Centre in its affidavit filed in the apex court today justified the reservation policy, providing 27.5 per cent reservation to OBCs in admission to educational institutions, contending that such reservations were aimed at uplifting the socially, educationally and economically backward sections of society.

The Government also contended that the 93rd constitutional amendment, empowering the state to provide reservation to the downtrodden and the weaker sections of the society, is totally valid.

The government also argued that any stay granted against the impugned notification will disrupt the coming academic session 2007-08 as the admission process has already started.

Denying the allegations of deriving any political mileage from the new reservation policy, the government told the court that the reservation in jobs to creamy layers among the reserved categories has already been withdrawn through an executive order.

The Supreme Court will decide the issue, whether to stay the impugned notification providing 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in admission to educational institutions, till the final disposal of the batch of petitions or not, on March 7.

The Supreme Court in its recent decision in Nagraj's case had advocated the exclusion of creamy layer among SC/STs also.

UNI