Maratha Reservation: Justice Gaikwad Commission Submits Report On Socio-Economic Status Of Marathas 

The Maharashtra Backward Class Commission headed by Justice (retired) N G Gaikwad has submitted its report on social and economic conditions of Marathas on Thursday (15 November 2018), FreePressJournal has reported.

The report was submitted to the Chief Secretary DK Jain.

According to sources of FreePressJournal, the report has made recommendations favourable to the quota demands from the community. If the recommendation to provide 16 per cent quota for Marathas is accepted, the 52 per cent reservation which is currently in place could go up to 68 per cent.

A government source said that the commission went through 2 lakh memoranda and surveyed 45,000 families to ascertain financial and educational backwardness of the Maratha community.

“The commission went through old historical records, old verdicts, studied constitutional provision, writings by noted anthropologist, sociologist Irawati Karve and several organisations like Pune’s Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and others,” he added.

According to Maharashtra Chief Secretary, those opposing the decision could approach the High Court and the government can implement the decision only if the Court does not stay the proposal.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that all legal requirements will be fulfilled by the end of November to grant reservations to Marathas.