New Delhi:On his last day as the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice BR Gavai spoke to the media about important issues. He said the Supreme Court has done its part in addressing the creamy layer issue in caste-based reservation. "We have done our part...now it is up to the government and Parliament," he said.

Last year, a Supreme Court bench cleared sub-classification within the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes for reservation benefits. Justice Gavai was part of that bench. He emphasized the need to identify the creamy layer among SC/ST communities to ensure true equality. "State must evolve a policy to identify creamy layer among the SC/ST category... This is the only way to gain true equality," he had written in his judgment. Justice Gavai also addressed allegations of nepotism and favoritism in judicial appointments through the Collegium system.

He said that such instances are less than 10% of total appointments. "A candidate's merit cannot be ignored just because he/she is related to a judge," he added. The Collegium system has been criticized for its opacity but defended for protecting judicial independence from executive interference. Justice Surya Kant will succeed him as Chief Justice tomorrow, November 24.