The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre and States on a PIL seeking exclusion of a 'creamy layer' from SC/ST reservations, citing State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh. The seven-judge Bench in that 2024 case allowed sub-classification within Scheduled Castes but did not mandate creamy layer exclusion. The creamy layer concept arose in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India for OBCs; a 1993 Office Memorandum defined it mainly by status, such as Class I/II posts. Critics argue extending it to SC/ST is weak, noting B. R. Ambedkar's view that caste disadvantage depends on community, and that Parliament can clarify the two mechanisms are distinct.