Mumbai, Feb 20
In an expected move, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Cabinet today approved 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in the state. With this, Maratha community will get reservation benefits in the education and government jobs. Maharashtra Cabinet today approved the draft of the bill for 10% Maratha reservation in education and government jobs, thus fulfilling the long pending demand of the community. Notably, Maharashtra already has a 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in which the Marathas are the biggest beneficiaries as they claim 85 per cent of the reservation benefit.
Amid the legal hurdlers, this is the third time in a decade that a government in Maharashtra has introduced legislation for the Maratha reservation. The bill for 10 per cent Maratha quota is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018 introduced by the then Devendra Fadnavis government.
The reservation to the Maratha community has been extended based on a report submitted to the state government by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by chairman Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre. Special Session Of Assembly The Maharashtra government is also conducting a special session to pass the bill. The special session is being convened prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.
Maratha Quota Report
The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission submitted a report on the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community on Friday to the Shinde government. The commission had undertaken a survey of around 2.5 crore homes within a span of only nine days and proposed a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and jobs. In June 2017, the then Devendra Fadnavis government had constituted the Maharas-htra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) headed by Justice (retired) MG Gaikwad to study the social, financial and educational status of the Maratha community. The Commission submitted its report in November 2018, classifying Marathas as a socially and educationally backward class (SEBC).
