A day after the Union Cabinet reaffirmed there is no constitutional provision for a creamy layer in reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi urged the central government to focus on the needs of disadvantaged Dalit castes.
Manjhi, the Union Minister for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, and former Chief Minister of Bihar, emphasised the importance of targeted measures to uplift Dalit castes that have not benefited equally from the reservation system.
"I was present at the Union Cabinet meeting on Friday where it was confirmed that there would be no provision for a creamy layer within the SC and ST reservation quotas," Manjhi said to reporters on Saturday. "During the meeting, I requested the government to introduce provisions aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of those castes among Dalits who are currently lagging behind."
Manjhi, who is also the founder of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) and an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), highlighted that only a few Dalit castes are currently benefiting from the SC/ST reservation system.
"Only three to four castes among Dalits are reaping the full benefits of the reservation system, including securing positions as IAS and IPS officers and engineers," he explained. "Meanwhile, several other Dalit groups, such as Bhuiya, Musahar, Dom, and scavengers, continue to lag significantly behind due to a lack of education and other factors. The government must implement specific measures to uplift these disadvantaged castes within the Dalit community."
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserted on Friday that the Constitution, as outlined by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, does not provide for a creamy layer within the SC-ST reservation framework.
Bihar BJP leaders welcomed the Cabinet’s decision. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed his support, saying, "The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to uphold the constitutional provisions laid out by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. There is no provision for a ‘creamy layer’ in SC/ST reservation according to the Constitution. The Cabinet has decided that SC/ST reservations will remain as per the constitutional guidelines."
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