New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS): The union government on Wednesday said that the annual income limit for creamy layer for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) was last revised in the year 2017 and has remained unchanged since then.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar said that the annual income limit of the family from all sources for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) group of 'general category' for availing the benefit of reservation is fixed at Rs 8 lakh. "The annual parental income limit for the sections of the Other Backward Classes, who do not fall with the other conditions prescribed for determination of Creamy Layer, is Rs 8 lakh," he said.

Kumar mentioned that 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 reservation to them in admissions to educational institutions and recruitment to Government jobs while Articles 15(6) and 16(6) enable the State to make similar special provisions for the advancement of economically weaker sections of citizens.

"However, the Constitution does not give the mandate to prescribe different yardsticks for economic parity of the two communities. The annual income limit for creamy layer for the OBCs was last revised in the year 2017 and has remained unchanged since then," Kumar added.