OBC leaders urge govt to raise creamy layer income limit from Rs 8 lakh set in 2017
Ferozepur, August 2025: Prominent leaders of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community have demanded that the government immediately revise the ‘creamy layer’ annual income limit, which has remained unchanged at Rs 8 lakh since 2017. They argue that the stagnant threshold has left a large number of deserving OBC families deprived of reservation benefits and welfare schemes.
Bhagwan Singh Sama of the Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial Committee, Iqbal Chand ‘Pala Batti’ of the International Sarv Kamboj Society, senior leader Jaspal Handa, and Gurbhej Singh Tibbi said that, as per Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) rules, the limit should be reviewed every three years or earlier if required. However, no revision has been made in the past eight years.
They stressed that an increase in the income ceiling would allow more economically disadvantaged OBC families to access government schemes, improving their social and economic conditions.
The leaders also expressed concern over a sharp decline in scholarships. A parliamentary committee report shows that under the pre-matric scheme, the number of beneficiaries fell from 586 lakh in 2021–22 to 202 lakh in 2023–24, while post-matric scholarship beneficiaries dropped from 38.04 lakh to 27.51 lakh in the same period.
They further pointed out inconsistencies in how income is calculated for those in autonomous bodies and government posts, which disqualifies many eligible candidates from government jobs. The OBC community has urged the government to revise the creamy layer income limit without delay to ensure fair access to reservation and welfare benefits.