SC ruled that the creamy layer must be excluded from reservation and that the states must define the criteria for the layers for SCs and STs.
An arbitrary creamy layer criteria would hamper communities as whole, rather than uplifting certain sections, said Karnataka's IT minister Priyank Kharge. (Representational pic/iStock)
The Supreme Court’s 1 August judgement asking states to identify the ‘creamy layer’ in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SCs and STs) has raised hackles among activists and political leaders in Karnataka. Dalit leaders are viewing the order with suspicion, calling it “a ploy to phase out reservation altogether”.