Maharashtra legislature passes 16 per cent Maratha quota bill

Mumbai: A long-standing demand of the Maratha community has finally been fulfilled as the Maharashtra legislature on Thursday unanimously passed a bill granting it 16 per cent reservation under a new and independent category: social and educationally backward class (SEBC).

With this, Marathas will now be eligible for 16 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs.

Chief minister Deven-dra Fadnavis tabled the bill in the Assembly and Council in the afternoon and it was passed without any discussion as legislators across party lines supported it. Amid Mr Fadnavis’ actions, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, who had arrived in the House wearing saffron turbans, hailed the move by chanting ‘Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Shivaji, Jai Bhavani.’

The bill, named ‘Maharashtra State Reservation (of seats for admission in educational institutions in the state and for appointments in the public services and posts under the State) for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act-2018, was passed by the Houses and was converted into an Act. Now it will go to the governor for his approval.

The bill will be applicable to all direct recruitments and appointments made in public services and posts in the state except super specialised posts in medical, technical and educational fields; posts to be filled by transfer or deputation; temporary appointments of less than 45 days’ duration; and posts that are single (isolated) in any cadre or grade.

According to the bill, Marathas will avail reservation in all educational institutions including aided and non-aided ones, except minority institutions. The ECBC shall also be considered for the allotment on unreserved seats and appointments to public services and posts, which shall be filled on the basis of merit.

The bill states that any admission authority, who wilfully acts in a manner intended to contravene or defeat the purpose of this Act shall be punished with imprisonment for 90 days or a fine. The Marathas shall not get benefit of reservation in cases where the selection process had already been initiated before the commencement of this Act.

The bill was based on a report by the State Backward Class Commission (SBCC), which had concluded that the Maratha community is educationally and socially backward. The commission had recommended the creation of a separate SEBC category for the community and also opined that the limit of reservation could be increased from the 50 per cent, as fixed by the Supreme Court, to accommodate the SEBC in the ambit of quota.

The report said, “The Maratha class of citizens is declared as SEBC citizens and has inadequate representation in the services under the State. Having being declared SEBC, they are entitled to reservation benefits and advantages enshrined in Article 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution of India (sic).”

Once, the bill gets the final nod of the President of India, it shall be published in the Gazette and, from that day, the Act will come into force and the rules will be applicable to the departments concerned.

Marathas, who form about 30 per cent of the state’s population, have been demanding reservation for a long time. For this, they had held 58 silent protests under the banner of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) and 40 people had allegedly committed suicide to press for the demand.