OBC Non-Creamy Layer Certificate: How to Apply in India

An OBC non-creamy layer certificate is an official document from your state revenue authority certifying that you belong to a notified Other Backward Class and are NOT in the creamy layer, so you can claim the central 27 percent OBC reservation in government jobs and education. It is different from a plain OBC caste certificate, and for central posts it must be recent.

The Mandal Commission scheme gives Other Backward Classes 27 percent reservation in central government jobs and central educational institutions. But the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) directed that the socially advanced “creamy layer” within OBCs must be excluded. The non-creamy layer certificate is the proof that you fall below that creamy-layer line.

It is a separate document from the OBC caste certificate. The caste certificate only says which backward community you belong to; the NCL certificate additionally certifies that your family income and status keep you outside the creamy layer. Central recruiters (UPSC, SSC, banks, central universities) ask for both, usually combined in one prescribed OBC-NCL format. The criteria for the creamy layer come from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum No. 36012/22/93-Estt.(SCT) dated 8 September 1993 and its later revisions.

Important: the central OBC list and the Rs 8 lakh rule decide eligibility for central jobs and central institutions. States maintain their own OBC lists and may set their own creamy-layer rules, so a state certificate is not automatically valid for central purposes.

You are treated as creamy layer, and therefore lose NCL status, if any of the following apply:

• Income test. Gross annual family income is Rs 8 lakh or more for three consecutive years. This ceiling was raised from Rs 6 lakh with effect from 1 September 2017 by the DoPT OM dated 13 September 2017, and it remains the current central ceiling. See PIB / DoPT.
• Salary and agriculture are excluded. When applying the income test, income from salaries and income from agricultural land are NOT counted. Only other income (business, profession, rent, interest, etc.) is measured against Rs 8 lakh. So a salaried OBC family can still be non-creamy layer even if the salary is large, as confirmed in the DoPT Schedule to OM 36012/22/93 dated 8 September 1993.
• Constitutional post holders. Children of the President, Vice-President, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and holders of other constitutional posts are creamy layer by status, regardless of income.
• Group A / Class I officers. Children of parents who are directly recruited Class I (Group A) officers are creamy layer. If both parents are Class I officers, or one parent is, the child is excluded.
• Group B / Class II officers. Children where both parents are Class II (Group B) officers, or one parent becomes Class I before age 40, are also treated as creamy layer.
• Armed forces and PSU equivalents. Children of officers of the rank of Colonel and above (and equivalent in other forces), and of officers in public-sector undertakings holding equivalent posts, are excluded.

The certificate must reflect the income of the previous three financial years, per DoPT OM No. 36036/2/2013-Estt.(Res-I) dated 31 March 2016. See DoPT OM 36036/2/2013.

1. Confirm your community is in the central OBC list (for central jobs) on the National Commission for Backward Classes site, not just the state list.
2. Visit your state's e-district / revenue services portal, or the Tahsil / SDM office where your family ordinarily resides.
3. Pick the OBC Non-Creamy Layer service (often combined with the OBC caste certificate). Choose the central format if you need it for a central job or exam.
4. Fill the application with family details, caste, and income from the last three years, declaring that salary and agricultural income are shown separately and excluded from the test.
5. Upload or attach the supporting documents (listed below) and pay the nominal fee.
6. The revenue staff verify records, may conduct a local enquiry, and the Tahsildar / SDM / Deputy Collector signs the certificate.
7. Download the digitally signed certificate or collect it from the office, then verify the issue date and financial year before submitting it to a recruiter.

• Proof of identity (Aadhaar, voter ID or PAN).
• Proof of residence in the issuing district / state.
• Existing OBC caste certificate or caste proof of the family, if available.
• Income proof for the last three financial years (salary slips, ITR, Form 16, business income statements) so the authority can separate excluded salary / agricultural income from countable income.
• Land or agricultural records, if any, to show agricultural income is excluded.
• Father's or guardian's caste / service details, and a self-declaration of non-creamy-layer status.
• Passport-size photograph and the prescribed application form.

• Submitting only the caste certificate. Central recruiters reject it; you need the NCL certificate that also certifies non-creamy-layer status.
• Using a state OBC certificate for a central job when your caste is not on the central OBC list.
• Counting salary or agricultural income in the Rs 8 lakh test and wrongly assuming you are creamy layer.
• An old certificate. For central appointments the NCL certificate should be issued in the current financial year covering the three preceding years; a stale certificate is often refused.
• Wrong issuing officer. A certificate from an authority below Tahsildar rank, not listed in DoPT OM 36012/22/93 dated 8 September 1993, can be rejected.

If the revenue office sits on your application, denies it without reason, or asks for irregular payments, file an RTI to the Public Information Officer of the Tahsil / District Collectorate. Ask for the status of your file, the name of the dealing official, the checklist applied, and the reasons for any rejection. The income-exclusion rule and competent-authority list are public, so you can also seek certified copies of the orders applied to your case.

Draft the request quickly with the AI RTI Drafter. If you get no reply within 30 days or an unsatisfactory one, escalate using the First Appeal Builder.

The gross annual family income ceiling is Rs 8 lakh, in force since 1 September 2017 under the DoPT OM dated 13 September 2017. There has been no central revision since, although a parliamentary committee has recommended raising it.

No. Income from salaries and from agricultural land is excluded. Only other income, such as business, profession, rent or interest, is measured against the Rs 8 lakh ceiling.

No. The caste certificate only records your backward community. The non-creamy layer certificate additionally certifies you are below the creamy-layer line. Central jobs need the NCL certificate, often in a combined OBC-NCL format.

The competent revenue authority of your area, generally the Tahsildar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate or Deputy Collector, as listed in DoPT OM 36012/22/93 dated 8 September 1993.

A certificate issued in a financial year is accepted for appointments during that financial year, based on income of the three preceding years. For central jobs, get a fresh certificate in the current financial year.

Only if your community is on the central OBC list and the certificate is in the central NCL format. State lists and state creamy-layer rules do not automatically apply to central posts.

• PIB / DoPT: OBC creamy layer income limit Rs 8 lakh
• National Commission for Backward Classes (central OBC list)
• DoPT OM 36036/2/2013 dated 31.03.2016: validity of OBC certificate
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• The RTI Playbook

• How to apply for a caste certificate (SC/ST/OBC)
• How to apply for an income certificate: state-wise guide
• Documents required for an EWS certificate
• Income certificate delayed? Use RTI to get it
• AI RTI Drafter tool
• First Appeal Builder tool