On March 26, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Ashok Bhushan reserved orders in a batch of petitions chal...
On March 26, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court led by Justice Ashok Bhushan reserved orders in a batch of petitions challenging the quotas in educational institutions and government jobs extended to the Maratha community in Maharashtra. Arguments in the case went on for 10 days.
The court is set to deliver a verdict in this case on Wednesday.
The scope of this verdict resonates far beyond Maharashtra. Not only will the judgment in this case decide if the 50% limit on quotas imposed by the Supreme Court in 1992 should be revisited, it will also determine whether the states continue to have the power to identify backward classes and provide provisions for their advancement.
In 2019, the Bombay High Court upheld the quota, even though it meant the total quantum of reservations in Maharashtra exceeded the 50% limit.
The judgment was challenged before the Supreme Court. Last year, a three-judge bench in an interim order said that it did not prima facie agree with the High Court’s findings. However, given the larger constitutional questions the matters raised, the bench referred them to the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde for appropriate orders.
The chief justice then formed a five-judge bench. Earlier...
