3 min learnSep 4, 2026 02:01 PM IST
Bihar officers can not rely the salaries or agricultural earnings of an applicant’s dad and mom whereas figuring out whether or not they fall underneath the creamy layer, the Common Administration Division has reiterated — a route that comes at a time when caste reservation has grow to be a significant flashpoint within the state.
In a letter to all district magistrates on September 1, GAD undersecretary Diwakar Mani stated officers shouldn’t rely dad and mom’ salaries and agricultural earnings whereas figuring out the Rs 8 lakh annual earnings ceiling for the creamy layer. The clarification adopted complaints acquired by the Bihar authorities.
The letter stated the Rs 8 lakh ceiling applies strictly to earnings from different sources, akin to personal enterprise, lease, skilled providers or capital investments.
“Strict compliance with the directives of the Central Authorities concerning the non-inclusion/non-addition of earnings from wage and earnings from agriculture of the applicant’s dad and mom whereas figuring out annual earnings for issuing Non-Creamy Layer Certificates should be ensured,” the letter stated, referring to the Centre’s 1994 creamy layer pointers contained within the Division of Personnel and Coaching (DoPT).
Acknowledging complaints about misguided dedication of creamy layer or Non-Creamy Layer Certificates, the GAD undersecretary advised the DMs that whereas caste, residence and earnings particulars are required for issuing NCL certificates, candidates needn’t receive separate certificates for every first. “As an alternative, Non-Creamy Layer Certificates must be issued immediately,” it stated, including that the NCL certificates additionally mentions these particulars and may also be “recognised as a Caste and Residence Certificates”.
The clarification comes at a time when questions of access to backward-class quotas have gained renewed significance amid the talk over sub-categorisation in Bihar.
Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificates are issued to Backward Lessons (BC) and Extraordinarily Backward Lessons (EBC). The state has 36.01 per cent EBCs, together with Muslims, and 27.12 per cent OBCs, in accordance with the Bihar Caste Based mostly Survey, 2022-23.
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Nevertheless, there isn’t any official quantity for the creamy-layer inhabitants — these excluded from NCL standing as a result of their related annual earnings exceeds Rs 8 lakh.
Of late, Bihar Chief of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav dared Scheduled Caste leaders Chirag Paswan of LJP (RV) and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM (S) to relinquish their quota and contest elections from non-reserved seats. Tejashwi’s assertion, made final week, got here amid Chirag and Manjhi sparring over sub-categorisation of SCs. Whereas Chirag is in opposition to it, Manjhi helps it.
