The Maharashtra Assembly today, February 20, unanimously passed the Maratha Reservation Bill, a legislation that will grant a 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in both education and government jobs.
The Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024, once enacted, will undergo a thorough review after a decade of implementation.
The State government had convened a one-day special session of the State legislature. This is the third time in a decade that the State has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota.
The decision follows a comprehensive report submitted by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, based on a survey covering nearly 2.5 crore families. This survey meticulously explores the social, economic, and educational backwardness faced by the Maratha community in the state.
Moreover, the decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.
It is pertinent to note that the State already has a 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in which the Marathas are the biggest beneficiaries, claiming about 85% of those.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party today demanded a 5 percent reservation for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra. SP MLA Abu Azmi waved banners demanding reservation to Muslims, outside the state assembly.