In its editorial titled, "Clearing the air", The Hindu commented that any caste group can be considered as "backward" only when the "creamy layer" within it is excluded. This sounds like meaningless truism -- those who are backward are backward.

If we exclude the "creamy layer", what is left of any community is backward! How then do we identify some caste or class groups alone as deserving of the benefits of affirmative action?

The fact is that several traditionally endogamous communities are today grossly under represented among the creamy layer of society at large. In India, this iniquitous situation has come about as a direct consequence of the erstwhile caste system.

The objective of the policy of reservations ought to be to correct this state of under-representation of certain communities within the creamy layer of society as a whole.

Thus, for the purposes of deciding on the eligibility of any community for continued affirmative action benefits, the only criteria ought to be that this group must be traditionally endogamous, and that the group continues to be under represented among the elite sections of wider society.

Having thus cleared the air, I would propose the following:-

a) As a general rule, exclude the "creamy layer" from availing the benefits of reservations, as suggested by the Supreme Court.

b) But in case the reservation quota is unable to be filled due to insufficiency of eligible candidates within a particular beneficiary group, this must pass on to the "creamy layer" within that group.

The above will benefit the backward among the backward -- while at the same time promoting the larger goal of widening social diversity within the creamy layer of society at large.

Affirmative Action policies must emerge out of the enlightened recognition of the virtues of actively promoting social diversity within our campuses and work places.

Anand