The Maharashtra Assembly unanimously approved the passing of a legislation granting 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under the socially and educationally backward category, Indian Express reported.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had tabled the Bill along with an Action Taken Report (ATR) on Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission’s (MSBCC) recommendations in the Assembly, the report stated.
According to the report, with the approval of the quota, reservations in the state have surpassed the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court of India for state governments and the government of India. At present, the total reservations in the state is 52 per cent. The 16 per cent reservation approved for the Marathas will take the number to 68 per cent.
The major recommendations of the MSBCC which justified the reservation to Maratha community are as follows, as per the IE report:
The Maratha Class of citizens has inadequate representation in the services under the State and having been declared socially and educationally backward class of citizens, they are entitled to reservation benefits and advantages enshrined in the Article 15 (4) (Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 16 (4) (Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment) of the Indian Constitution.
The Marathas constitute 30 per cent of the state population.
