Archive · 1 Sep 2026
SC Issues Notice on Centre Plea Affecting 958 Candidates
The Supreme Court is examining a request from the Centre about an OBC reservation ruling.
The case could affect 958 civil services candidates.
The Centre says the Rohith Nathan judgment changed how some eligibility rules could be understood.
Some candidates had parents working in public-sector companies or private companies.
If their parents’ income was above the stated limit, they might have thought they could not receive OBC non-creamy-layer benefits.
Because of this, some may have applied as general-category candidates.
Others may not have applied as OBC candidates at all.
The court has now asked for a response through a notice.
The Supreme Court has issued notice on the Centre’s plea concerning the effect of the OBC creamy-layer ruling.
The Centre says the ruling could affect 958 civil services candidates.
The Rohith Nathan judgment was delivered on March 11, five days after the earlier development referenced by the Centre.
The Centre says prevailing interpretations may have led some candidates to consider themselves ineligible for OBC non-creamy-layer benefits.
Some candidates may have applied under the general category, while others may not have applied under the OBC category at all.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, the Centre, and 958 civil services candidates.
- What
- The Supreme Court issued notice on the Centre’s plea about the ruling’s effect on OBC category eligibility and civil services candidates.
- When
- The Rohith Nathan judgment was delivered on March 11; the court’s notice followed the Centre’s plea.
- Why
- The Centre says the ruling may have caused candidates to misunderstand their eligibility for OBC non-creamy-layer benefits and alter how they applied.
Centre’s Concerns
Effect of the Ruling
Candidate eligibility
Centre’s Concerns
The Centre says candidates with parents employed in public-sector undertakings or the private sector, and whose income exceeded the prescribed ceiling, may have considered themselves ineligible for OBC non-creamy-layer benefits.
Effect of the Ruling
Under the interpretation prevailing at the time, candidates may have acted on that understanding when choosing their application category.
Impact on applications
Centre’s Concerns
The Centre says some candidates may have contested the civil services examination only in the general category, while others may not have applied under the OBC category.
Effect of the Ruling
The ruling’s interpretation is presented as having potentially affected how eligible candidates identified themselves during the application process.
- Affected candidates
- 958 civil services candidates
- Judgment referenced
- Rohith Nathan judgment
- Judgment date
- March 11
- Parents’ employment mentioned
- Public-sector undertakings or the private sector
- Eligibility issue
- Income above the prescribed ceiling for OBC non-creamy-layer benefits
- Possible candidate responses
- Applying under the general category or not applying under the OBC category