State / Maharashtra govt extends 10% EWS quota to Marathas in education and jobs

Mumbai: Weeks after the Supreme Court struck down the Maratha quota in Maharashtra saying reservation cannot exceed 50% as it violates equality. The Maharashtra Government has offered the benefits under the economically weaker section (EWS) quota to the Maratha community on Monday.

 A government order (GO) to this effect was issued by the General Administration Department (GAD).

The GAD order said the Maratha community, which has been classified as a Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC), can avail the 10% EWS quota.

The central law on the EWS quota was enacted more than two years ago to allow reservation for the poor in jobs and education among the general category. At present, a 10 per cent EWS quota is in force for those sections of the society which are not covered by any kind of reservations.

The EWS quota will be applicable for SEBC candidates whose appointments were pending before the interim stay and will not be applicable to those candidates who have benefited from the SEBC quota in appointments and admissions, the government order said.

The SC had, on May 5th, struck down a state law that granted reservations in jobs and education to the Maratha community. The judge said that there were no extraordinary circumstances to grant reservation to Maratha community over and above the 50 percent ceiling on reservation prescribed by the Supreme Court in its 1992 judgment in Indra Sawhney v. Union of India. He added that the court does not find any reason in revisiting Indira Sawhney judgment.

The apex court also made it clear in its judgement that people from the Maratha community cannot be declared as educationally and socially backward community to bring them within the reserved category.