Maratha Reservation: Supreme Court to Hear Case From January 25 to Decide on Constitutional Validity of Quota
The Social and Educational Backward Classes (SEBC) Act was enacted in 2018 by the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis-led government. The law granted 16 percent quota to the Maratha community in educational institutes and government jobs. The same was scaled down to 12 percent and 13 percent, respectively by the Bombay High Court.
Mumbai, December 9: The Supreme Court will begin hearings to decide the constitutional validity of Maratha reservation from January 25. The announcement was made by the top court bench while hearing the submissions being made by the counsel of Maharashtra government. The issue pertains to the grant of quota to the Maratha community in the state's educational institutions and government jobs.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra formed a panel of five lawyer to deliberate with all the stakeholders before filing the submissions. A sub-committee formed to look into the issue includes State Cabinet Minister Ashok Chavan. 'Black Day' for Marathas: Maharashtra BJP After Supreme Court Stays Quota Law.
Update by ANI
The Social and Educational Backward Classes (SEBC) Act was enacted in 2018 by the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis-led government. The law granted 16 percent quota to the Maratha community in educational institutes and government jobs. The same was scaled down to 12 percent and 13 percent, respectively by the Bombay High Court.
The Supreme Court, after admitting a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the law, decided to put a interim stay on the quota. The stay order was issued on September 9.
The apex court is seized of five petitions including those filed by J Laxman Rao Patil and lawyer Sanjeet Shukla challenging the Bombay High Court's order which upheld the constitutional validity of the quota.
The Bombay HC, in its June 27 order, had said the 50 per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances.
Shukla, a representative of "Youth for Equality", in his petition, said the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, breached the 50-per cent ceiling on reservation fixed by the apex court in its landmark judgment in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the "Mandal verdict".
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 09, 2020 04:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).