The Supreme Court reserves orders on the Centre’s plea for a limited prospective implementation window of its verdict on the OBC creamy layer policy. The government asks for a two-year period to fix and apply the policy going forward.

The Centre argues that applying the ruling retrospectively would have wide-ranging effects across multiple systems. It says it would unsettle outcomes related to recruitment, service and cadre allocation, seniority, admissions, and the overall administration of OBC reservation. The government also points to the potential impact on candidates who are currently in the pipeline for selection or appointments.

Outlet coverage highlights the same central request but frames it slightly differently: some emphasize the scale of administrative consequences, while others stress the need to avoid disturbing seniority and appointments of people who were not parties to the case. All accounts note that the Supreme Court’s decision on the timing and scope of implementation is pending.