The National Commission for Backward Classes has recommended an income limit of Rs 4 to 6 lakh for determination of the creamy layer, which is to be excluded from the benefit of reservation for Other Backward Clases. The existing ceiling is at Rs 2.5 lakh per year.

The recommendations of the Commission would be submitted to the Centre on Thursday, sources told UNI.

They said the Commission finalised its view on the income ceiling after ascertaining the views of the state commissions on the issue.

Chairman and Members of the Commission would call on Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar on Thursday to submit their report.

Earlier this month, the NCBC had called a meeting of chairmen of state backward classes commissions and their secretaries to discuss the matter and arrive at a final view.

The Commission had last month brought out a public notice to invite public views on what the revised limits should be.

The Supreme Court, while upholding 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions, had recently asked the government to exclude the creamy layer, following which demands were made from several political parties and other organisations to increase the income limit for determining the layer.

Even before the SC judgment came on the contentious issue in March, the government had entrusted the job of revising the creamy layer to the NCBC.

The decision of the Human Resource Development Ministry in 2006 to extend 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in institutions of higher learning like the IITS and IIMs had evoked countrywide protests from some quarters, following which the Centre had appointed an oversight committee on implementation of quota in these institutions.

The committee, headed by Veerappa Moily, suggested an increase in the general seats so as not to harm the prospects of general category candidates.

After the Moily Committee Report, the Parliament passed a legislation for extending the reservation, which became an Act on January 1, 2007.

However, the Act was immediately challenged in court, which stayed its operation. In March this year, Supreme Court in its final judgment upheld the Act, but said the creamy layer should be excluded from the benefit.

While some were expecting the government to file a review petition, it chose to go in for a redefinition of the creamy layer instead, which was demanded from various other quarters.

A number of political leaders and OBC representatives feel that the existing cut-off slab was not realistic in view of the sharp increase in the cost of living in recent years.