Usually the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) training starts from the third week of August, but this year October is about to pass and the IAS training has not started. The IAS training has been stuck for 2 months due to the confusion caused by the Supreme Court’s decision on OBC creamy layer on 11 March 2026. There is confusion whether the new OBC Creamy Layer decision will be implemented in new recruits or old recruits. The Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) issued a note in this regard on Sunday evening, seeking clarification from the Supreme Court on the decision.

Come, let’s know what is the decision of the Supreme Court on March 11, 2026 regarding the OBC Creamy Layer. Let us know what is the attitude of the central government in this matter. We will know how far-reaching the impact of the new decision on the new OBC level is likely to be.

SC’s March decision on OBC creamy layer

The Supreme Court gave its verdict on OBC creamy layer on 11 March 2026. The Supreme Court gave this decision while hearing the case of Rohit Nathan against the Government of India. Justice P.S. Supreme Court Narasimha and Justice R. The Mahadevan bench clarified that the creamy layer cannot be determined on the basis of income alone.

The Supreme Court in its judgment said that the social status of the parents and the nature of their place in the OBC creamy layer are also important. The bench, while reading the OM of 1993 and the instructions issued thereafter, said that determining the status of the creamy layer on the basis of income bracket alone, without mentioning the parameters of the post category and status, is clearly unsustainable in law.

The SC said that differential treatment of OBC candidates of equal status may go against the principle of equality enshrined in Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution. The SC gave this decision on the system of considering the salary of parents working in PSU and private sector alone as the deciding factor for determining the OBC creamy layer.

In fact, the case pertained to candidates who had appeared in the civil services examination, whose parents were employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), banks or such level institutions and had claimed reservation under the OBC non-creamy layer category.

As the Center sought two years’ time, the SC reserved the order

The Supreme Court has announced a new order on March 11 regarding the OBC creamy layer. It is believed that after this decision of the Supreme Court, the prevalence of OBC creamy layer will increase. Along with this, the central government has sought two years’ time from the Supreme Court to implement the new decision. On September 24, the Supreme Court concluded the hearing in this matter and reserved its order.

IAS training will start only after the order of the Supreme Court!

It is clear that the new Supreme Court decision on the OBC creamy layer will be implemented, but the central government has sought two years to implement it. The Supreme Court has reserved its order in this matter. In such a situation the training of IAS is stopped. There is confusion with DoPT whether the decision of OBC creamy layer will be implemented in new recruitment or it will have to be implemented from old recruitment only. It is believed that the Supreme Court will clarify this in the reservation order, after which the IAS training can begin. So the new system of OBC creamy layer will be implemented.

Other recruitment and admissions will also be affected

IAS training has come to a standstill due to the Supreme Court’s March 11 decision on the OBC creamy layer, but the matter will not be limited to UPSC CSE. Experts believe that the new reservation for OBC creamy layer will be implemented in other recruitments including SSC, Railways. So its effect will be seen on other admission processes including IIT, IIM, CUET.