# Creamy layer

• The supreme court on Tuesday held that economic criterion should not be the sole basis to identify sections of backward communities as ‘creamy layer’.

• Social advancements, higher employment in government services, etc played an equal role in deciding whether a person belonged to the creamy layer and could be denied quota benefits.

• The basis of exclusion of ‘creamy layer’ cannot be merely economic.

# Urban employment scheme

• The Tamil Nadu government will implement an urban employment scheme on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural employment gurantee scheme (MGNREGS).

• The scheme is aimed to improve the livelihood of urban poor at a cost of 100 crore rupees.

• Tamil urban population in Tamil Nadu is growing fast and it would reach 60% of the total population by 2036.

# Afghanistan crisis

• Prime minister Narendra Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed charting out a ‘cordinated strategy’ in Afghanistan.

• National security advisors of BRICS countries also met to discuss counter terrorism with focus on Afghanistan.

# Chip shortage

• The semiconductor shortage problem faced by the automobile industry is temporary and is expected to be over by 2022.

• Maruti suzuki India limited chairman RC Bhargawa said on tuesday that the chip shortage is partly due to covid-19.

# Manufacturing hub

• India has overtaken the US to become the second most sought after manufacturing destination globally.

• This index is driven mainly by cost competitiveness, according to real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield.

• China retained the top spot in its Global manufacturing risk index 2021.