India: Maratha reservation bill passed unanimously in Maharashtra assembly

The government of the western Indian state of Maharashtra on Tuesday (Feb 20) approved a bill to grant 10% reservation in education and governmentjobs to Marathas above the 50 per cent constitutional cap. The bill for 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community was approved by the state government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. It was tabled in the statelegislative assembly in a special one-day session and was subsequently passed.

The state government has approved the Maratha reservation based on a report submitted by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by chairman Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre.

The MBCC proposed a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, similar to that of the previous bill brought in 2018 by the then-state government.

This is the third time in a decade that the state has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota.

The Maratha reservation bill approved on Tuesday is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by the then-Devendra Fadnavis government.

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Why Marathas have been demandingreservation?

The government says that the Maratha community constitutes 28% of the state's population and a significant portion of Maratha families fall below the poverty line, with 21.22% holding yellow ration cards, exceeding the state average of 17.4%.

A survey indicates that 94 per cent of farmer suicides in Maharashtra involve Maratha families.

Moreover, 84 per cent of Maratha families do not fall under the 'progressed' category, making them eligible for reservation as outlined in the bill.

The Marathas are a historically dominant community in the state of Maharashtra, the official language of which (Marathi) derives its name from the warrior community. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Maratha Empire spanned 80 per cent territory of modern-day India and was a major military and political force even the British had to make great efforts to subdue before establishing colonial reign over India.

Watch | India: Maharashtra cabinet approves 'Maratha Quota Bill'

The bill was tabled in the legislature during a special session called after months of agitation led by Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil, whois currently on a hunger strike in Jalna district of Maharashtra.

Maharashtra already offers a 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and the Marathacommunity has been the biggest beneficiary of this in the past.

MBCC submitted a report on the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community after what it said was a survey of 25 million households in the state in a span of just nine days. Critics of the survey allege that the number of households visited is not as high as it is being described.

This is not the first time Maratha reservation has been approved by the Maharashtra government. In 2014, the then-state chief minister Prithviraj Chavan approved a 16 per cent reservation for Marathas and promulgated an ordinance. But the measure was stayed by the Bombay High Court.

In 2018, the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act was passed by the government headed by then-chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Sixteen per cent reservation was granted.

Legal battle ahead?

Attempts by state governments to introduce reservations for Marathas have faced legal challenges, with previous efforts being struck down by courts. However, the persistence of protests and the political significance of the Maratha community have led to repeated revivals of this sensitive issue, given that the community constitutes a significant portion of Maharashtra's population.

In 2021, the Supreme Court invalidated reservations for Marathas in college admissions and employment in Maharashtra citing a lack of exceptional circumstances to justify breaching the 50% cap on overall reservations. Despite the rejection of a review plea, the state government pursued a curative petition in its quest to uphold Maratha reservations.

(With inputs from agencies)