Assembly clears bill on Maratha quota in PG medical courses

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Thursday unanimously cleared a bill to provide reservation to the Maratha community in post-graduate medical courses.

The government had earlier promulgated an ordinance on this.

The Maharashtra Legislature had on November 29 last year passed a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for Marathas, declared as socially and educationally backward class (SEBC) by the government.

However, the admissions to post-graduate medical courses had begun on November 2.

Citing this reason, students from the open category had earlier moved the Bombay High Court and the reservation was scrapped.

Last month, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had said that the 16 per cent reservation for the Maratha community under the SEBC category will not be applicable for the post-graduate medical courses this year.

The high court had contended that the government's decision to introduce the quota was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court had also upheld the high court order, cancelling the 16 per cent SEBC quota for post-graduate medical seats in Maharashtra.

Last month, the Maharashtra government had received permission from the Election Commission (EC) to promulgate an ordinance for Maratha reservation for the PG medical courses.

The ordinance was promulgated to restore the admissions already done.

Supporting the bill in the House Thursday, Congress leader Mohammed ArifNaseem Khan reminded the government about the reservation for backward class Muslims, which was upheld by the high court, but discontinued by the state government.

To this, Minister of State for Social Justice Madan Yerawar said the government favours inclusive development.

"We will discuss the Muslim reservation issue and take a decision accordingly," he said.