CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR UPSC IAS

The Maharashtra Legislature unanimously passed a bill reserving 10% of the seats in educational institutions and the same proportion of government jobs for people from the Maratha community.

• This is the third such attempt by the state government to carve out a quota for the once-dominant agrarian community, after similar laws enacted in 2014 and 2019 were struck down by the courts.
  • The 2014 Maratha reservation law provided a 16% quota in jobs and education, but it was quashed by the Bombay high court.
  • The 2018 Maratha reservation provided a similar quantum of reservation, which the Bombay HC brought down to 12% and 13% respectively. The quota was quashed by the Supreme Court in May 2021.

What is the Bill?

• Bill: Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act 2024
• In the bill passed by both houses of the state legislature, the Maharashtra government cited the findings of a report submitted by the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes (MSCBC) as the basis for the reservation.
• Key-findings of the Report:

• • Marathas account for 28% of Maharashtra’s population, and are in an “exceptional circumstances and extraordinary condition” of backwardness, making it a fit case for reservation over the 50% ceiling mandated by the Supreme Court.
  • The 10% quota is over and above the existing 62% reservation in the state, which includes 10% for those belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) and remaining 52% caste based quota

• Based on these findings, the commission recommended that the Maratha community be notified as a socially and educationally backward class under Article 342(C) and Article 366(26C) of the constitution, indicating the need for a separate social component with different and independent percentages from the existing reserved castes.
• Article 342-C of the Constitution empowers the state to list the backward communities as per the provisions of Articles 15(4) and 16(4).
• The Bill outlines the provision of a 10-year review period after the implementation of the proposed reservation.