Marathas brought under 10% EWS quota in government jobs and education in Maharashtra
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.
After the Supreme Court scrapped the Maratha quota, the Maharashtra government has now allowed Marathas to avail benefits of 10% reservation in education and government jobs under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
A government order (GO) to this effect was issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) in Mumbai.
The EWS quota will be applicable to the community from the period of interim stay (on Maratha reservation) on September 9, 2020, to the final verdict by the Supreme Court in May 5 this year.
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.
Under this, a person fulfilling the criterion for EWS quota, if doesn’t come under any other reservation category, would be eligible for 10% reservation in state government jobs and educational institutions.
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.
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.
