The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the Maharashtra government’s 2018 move to grant reservation to the Maratha community in admission...
The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the Maharashtra government’s 2018 move to grant reservation to the Maratha community in admissions and government jobs in the state, Bar and Bench reported.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions that challenged the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, saying it would breach the ceiling of 50% quota limit imposed by the Supreme Court itself in a landmark verdict in 1992.
A Constitution Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer, Hemant Gupta and S Ravindra Bhat said on Wednesday that the Maharashtra government’s law exceeded the 50% ceiling.
In 2018, the then Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra had approved 16% reservation for the Marathas in jobs and education after statewide protests. While hearing petitions against the move in 2019, the Bombay High Court upheld the constitutional validity of the law, but stated that 16% reservation was not justifiable. It directed the state government to reduce the quota to 12%-13% as per the recommendations of the State Backward Classes Commission.
The High Court’s verdict was subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court, which stayed the decision in September 2020. The court then issued a notice to all states, seeking their response on whether reservation could be allowed beyond the 50% ceiling.
