SC refuses to entertain plea challenging Maratha quota in PG medical colleges

The Supreme Court 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.

"We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order passed by the High Court as the admission process for the academic year 2019-20 has concluded on 17th June, 2019. The special leave petition is, accordingly, dismissed," the bench said.

The apex court, however, said, "We, however, clarify that we have not commented on the question of validity of the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018 which is the subject matter of challenge before the Bombay High Court in a group of writ petition(s), in which judgment has been reserved. Pending applications shall also stand disposed of."
The petition said, "In the case at hand the impugned ordinance is clearly an attempt to nullify the judgement passed by the high court and as upheld by the Supreme Court thereby holding the provisions of the SEBC Act, 2018, inapplicable to the current academic year for, the admission process with respect to PG Medical Courses which has already commenced prior to the implementation of the Act."