A social media post attempts to underscore the perceived indifference of the government towards SC/ST communities by contrasting the income limits established for various social categories to access government amenities. The post asserts that while the income limit for EWS/OBC is Rs. 8 lakhs, it is only Rs. 2.5 lakh for SC/STs, suggesting governmental apathy towards scheduled castes. In this article, we fact-check the assertions made in the post.
Claim: Comparison of income limits of different social groups to avail government facilities shows governments apathy towards SC/ST’s.
Fact: The income limits pertaining to SCs/STs are applicable for accessing government facilities such as scholarships whereas the income levels pertaining to OBCs/EWS are applicable for accessing reservations in general, i.e. reservation to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs. The government has not established an income limit for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes for accessing reservations. Thus, the Comparison made in the viral post is illogical, as they serve different purposes. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
Misleading comparison :
The specified income limits for SC/ST individuals mentioned in the viral post are applicable for accessing government facilities such as scholarships. Whereas the income levels of OBCs/EWS are applicable for accessing reservations in general, i.e. reservation to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs. Comparing these limits to the annual income threshold set for OBC/EWS reservations is misleading, as they serve different purposes.
Articles 15(5) and Articles 16(5) enable the State to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens and provide reservations to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs. Likewise, Articles 15(6) and 16(6) enable the State to make similar special provisions for the advancement of economically weaker sections of citizens.
In accordance with these provisions, the government has not established an income limit for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes concerning reservation in admissions to educational institutions and government job recruitment. However, a creamy layer criterion of Rs. 8,00,000/- annual income from all sources has been designated for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) to qualify for reservation benefits.
Income limit for government facilities:
Regarding the eligibility for government amenities such as scholarships and hostel facilities, the government has established income limits for parents from all sources based on the category of students, ensuring their qualification for scholarships under various welfare schemes.
As an illustration, according to the updated directives from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the income limit for parents/guardians from all sources for SC students applying for the Post-Matric Scholarship is capped at Rs. 2,50,000. Similar income limits are established for OBC categories, and you can find the specifics of these limits here.
Consequently, this information establishes that an illogical attempt is made to compare the income limits for two different purposes to deduce a misleading conclusion that the government is against SCs/STs.
Supreme Court upheld creamy layer for SCs/STs
In 2018, the five-judge bench court ruling in the case of Jarnail Singh vs. Lacchmi Narain Gupta upheld reservations for SCs/STs in public employment promotions. Nevertheless, it extended the creamy layer principle to SC/STs regarding promotions. Consequently, SC/ST individuals falling within the creamy layer are ineligible for promotion reservations.
The central government requested the Supreme Court to refer to the question of whether the concept of the creamy layer should apply to Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the context of providing them reservations in promotions to a wider Bench.
In September 2021, the Court declined to reconsider the Jarnail Singh decision. Nonetheless, it consented to entertain arguments regarding the need for any clarifications. As of now, the Court has not yet provided clarifications on its 2018 judgment. The chronological sequence of events addressing this issue can be viewed here.
To sum it up, the viral post engages in an illogical comparison of income limits to underscore the perceived indifference of the government towards the scheduled castes.
