Children can’t fall in non-creamy OBC layer if parents’ income in excess: Kerala High Court

['Somya Panwar', 'Somya Panwar Is A Legal Journalist At The Indian Express', 'Digital', 'Where She Covers The Various High Courts Across The Country', 'The Supreme Court Of India. Her Writing Is Driven A Deep Interest In How Law Influences Society', 'Particularly In Areas Of Gender', 'Feminism', 'Women S Rights. She Is Especially Drawn To Stories That Examine Questions Of Equality', 'Autonomy', 'Social Justice Through The Lens Of The Courts. Her Work Aims To Make Complex Legal Developments Accessible'] The Indian Express 2026-07-30 13:31:30

Underlining the “excess” income and wealth of the parents working in the private sector, the Kerala High Court has dismissed the pleas of two teenagers seeking “non-creamy layer” (NCL) OBC certificates for NEET UG 2026 and Kerala Engineering Architectural Medical Entrance Examination (KEAM) 2026 admissions. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas observed that it was undisputed that, if the salary income of the petitioners’ parents was taken into account, they would not fall in the NCL category. The order added, “Enabling the creamy layer to grab the benefits of reservation, subdue and suppress the voice of the non-creamy layer. Two 17-year-old students approached the high court after they applied for Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificates for NEET UG 2026 and KEAM 2026 admissions, which were rejected on the ground that their family income exceeded the prescribed limit. The stipulation is that when equivalent posts have not been notified, the method to identify the Non-Creamy Layer is the income or wealth test.