SC dismisses plea challenging HC order on non-applicability of Maratha quota in PG medical admissions

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging an order of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court which said admissions for post-graduation medical and dental courses will not come under the ambit of reservation for Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) in Maharashtra this year.

A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna did not find any merit in the petition filed by NGO Janhit Manch and dismissed the same.

"We do not find any merit in the petition and in this regard, earlier this court had dismissed one special leave petition (SLP)," it said.

The Nagpur bench had earlier this month stated 16 per cent reservation given to the Maratha community by the state government under the SEBC quota, popularly known as Maratha reservation, will not be applicable to admissions to the post-graduate medical and dental courses this year.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Monday gave approval to the state government's decision to promulgate an ordinance to amend the SEBC Reservation Act, 2018 in order to give protection to candidates seeking postgraduate medical admissions.

The state Cabinet had on Friday also decided to reimburse the fees to the affected students from the general category.

The decision of the Cabinet came after the state government received permission from the Election Commission (EC) to promulgate an ordinance for Maratha reservation in PG medical courses.