Maratha Community's Demand for Job Reservations in Maharashtra

In the ongoing debate over the Maratha community's demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, legal experts are urging the Maharashtra government to adhere strictly to the rule of law. Senior counsel Pradeep Sancheti, representing some petitioners against the quota, drew parallels with the unrest in Bangladesh, where student protests over reservation policies have led to significant turmoil. He emphasized that the government should not yield to agitation but instead maintain a commitment to equality under the law. The Maharashtra legislature recently passed a law granting 10% reservation to the Maratha community under the Socially and Educationally Backward Class category, based on a report from the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes (MSCBC). However, this decision has sparked a flurry of petitions both challenging and supporting the order. Sancheti criticized the commission's approach, arguing that it inadequately compared the Maratha community to other reserved categories, leading to a flawed understanding of their socio-economic status. Sancheti further highlighted alarming statistics, noting a significant increase in child marriage rates within the community and questioning the commission's findings on suicide rates, which he claimed lacked proper context. He argued that the commission's report failed to provide a clear benchmark for assessing the community's challenges, suggesting that the narrative around their socio-economic status is misguided. The special bench, comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justices Girish Kulkarni and Firdosh Pooniwalla, is set to continue hearing arguments on this contentious issue on August 26.