# Indian legal disputes over reservation criteria > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indian-legal-disputes-over-reservation-criteria > Updated: 2026-08-25T14:08:00.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2. The Indian government is engaged in legal proceedings regarding reservation policies and the application of the “creamy layer” principle. In early August, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court opposing a petition for income-based sub-quotas within Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories. The government argued that the “creamy layer” principle is currently limited to OBCs and that any policy changes require parliamentary action following a socio-economic review. By late August, the focus shifted to the implementation of a Supreme Court ruling in the case of Government of India vs Rohit Nathan. This ruling stated that OBC creamy layer status cannot be determined solely by parental income or salary, but must also consider parental social status. The Department of Personnel and Training has requested the Supreme Court for an exemption from applying these new criteria to the 2025 and 2026 UPSC Civil Services Examination cycles, citing potential administrative hurdles regarding candidate allocation. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-25: India seeks Supreme Court relief on OBC creamy layer criteria for UPSC exams The Indian government is seeking Supreme Court clarification to delay applying new OBC creamy layer criteria to the 2025-26 UPSC Civil Services Examination due to administrative concerns. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/india-seeks-supreme-court-relief-on-obc-creamy-layer-criteria-for-upsc-exams ### 2026-08-06: India's Government Rejects Income‑Based Sub‑Quotas for SC/ST Reservations India's Ministry of Social Justice opposes a Supreme Court petition for income‑based sub‑quotas in SC/ST reservations, saying the creamy‑layer rule applies only to OBCs and any change requires parliamentary and 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/indias-government-rejects-incomebased-subquotas-for-scst-reservations --- Cite as: Indian legal disputes over reservation criteria. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indian-legal-disputes-over-reservation-criteria