News Brief
Maharashtra: OBC Group Files PIL In Bombay HC Challenging Maharashtra Government's Maratha Quota Notification
Nayan Dwivedi
Feb 01, 2024, 01:03 PM | Updated 01:03 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
In a significant development, the OBC Welfare Foundation (OWF) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court against the Maharashtra government's draft notification that paves the way for Kunbi caste quotas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for the Maratha community.
The move has intensified existing tensions, with the PIL asserting that the state government lacks the authority to define Maratha relatives eligible for reservation under the Kunbi category.
Historically identified as a “warrior” caste, the Marathas comprise mainly of peasants and landowning groups who make up almost a third of the population of Maharashtra.
The lead up to the present case can be traced back to June 2019, when the Bombay High Court had upheld the Maratha quota under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class (SEBC) Act.
Also Read: Tribal Communities To Be Exempted From Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code: Report
However, the court ruled that the 16 per cent quota under the Act was not “justifiable”, and reduced it to 12 per cent in education and 13 per cent in government jobs, as recommended by the State Backward Class Commission.
The HC also said that total reservations should not exceed 50 per cent, except in exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations.
In May 2021, a five-judge Constitution Bench of supreme court headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan struck down the provisions of the Maharashtra law providing reservation to the Maratha community
As reported by Economic Times, the recent PIL challenges the legitimacy of identifying Marathas as Kunbis for the purpose of OBC quotas, sparking fear and anger among OBC groups in the state.
Also, recently, Manoj Jarange Patil, the 'activist' leading the Maratha quota movement, had called off the planned march to Mumbai after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's government accepted their demands.
Patil had expressed satisfaction with the government's response, stating that their requests had been acknowledged.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Nayan Dwivedi is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.