Plea in SC seeks OBC status for farmers:

Plea in SC seeks OBC status for farmers:

Context

Regarding granting OBC status to farmers not falling within creamy layer

What has happened?

The Supreme Court has decided to entertain a writ petition seeking ‘farmers’ who do not fall within the creamy layer to be recognised as Other Backward Classes (OBC) as an occupational group irrespective of their caste and religion

Argument behind the PIL

The PIL argued that the inclusion would arm the ryots with constitutional rights to protect their livelihood

Respond to the petition

The court asked the Centre, the Gujarat government and the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) to respond to the petition

Backdrop

• The petition, filed by Rajeshkumar Patel, questioned the validity of the office memorandum of the Gujarat government issued on September 13 which increased the slab of income to ₹8 lakh to raise the number of the OBC classes
• The Centre’s memorandum was followed shortly in October by the State government’s order.