SC refuses to entertain plea challenging Maratha quota in medical colleges

SC bench said the admission process ended on June 17 and it cannot pass any order on the plea

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging a Bombay High Court order which dismissed a petition against 16 per cent quota for Marathas in admission to postgraduate medical and dental courses.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai said the admission process ended on June 17 and it cannot pass any order on the plea.

"No, we will not pass any order as it will lead to chaos," the bench observed.

The Maharashtra Legislative Council had on Friday unanimously cleared a bill to provide reservation to Maratha community in postgraduate medical courses.

The state government had earlier promulgated an ordinance to amend the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018 to provide 16 per cent reservation to Maratha students in PG medical courses.

The petition filed by one Sameer had challenged the Bombay High Court order of June 13 by which it had refused to entertain the plea against the Maharashtra government's ordinance and had claimed that the ordinance was contrary to the law laid down by the apex court and deserved to be set aside.