India, Aug. 7 -- The government on Thursday told the Supreme Court of India that the concept of a "creamy layer" cannot be extended for the reservation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes categories. The government argued that the doctrine has consistently been applied to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) only.

The government made the submissions while also opposing a plea seeking an income-based sub-quota within reserved categories.

The Centre told the top court that the reservation policy is "not solely based on economic status," but rather on historical and social criteria such as tribe, social backwardness and caste.

The government further stated that any modification, especially to introduce income-based preferences in reserve...