1. The Union government has employed two different income tests to determine eligibility for OBC reservations in civil services.
2. Initially, the OBC quota in 1993 excluded candidates whose families had certain social and economic privileges, known as the creamy layer.
3. The case of Puja Khedkar has brought attention to inconsistencies in the application of the income test for OBC reservations.
4. DoPT's 1993 charter specified criteria for excluding some OBC families based on occupations and has made exceptions over time.
5. There is a disparity in how the income test is applied: Certain exceptions can exclude parental salaries and agricultural income from the income limit, while other OBC candidates cannot.
6. Social Justice Ministry and the government's statements in 2019 and 2021 suggested only one income test, excluding salaries and agriculture income.
7. The Supreme Court is yet to make a decision regarding the application of these income tests with the next hearing on August 22.
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