Maratha Quota Bill: Maharashtra Cabinet Drafts Bill for 10% Reservation in Education and Government Jobs

The Maharashtra Cabinet today, February 20, approved the draft of a bill proposing a 10% reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs, reigniting the long-standing debate on caste-based quotas in the state. The draft bill now requires approval from the state legislature before it can be enacted into law.

The bill for the 10 per cent Maratha quota that the Mahayuti government of Eknath Shinde approved on Tuesday is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by the then Devendra Fadnavis government. 

Maratha Reservation | Maharashtra Cabinet approved the draft of the bill for 10% Maratha reservation in education and government jobs

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2024

This is the third time in a decade that the state has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota. The decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.

The reservation has been extended based on a report submitted to the state government by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by chairman Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre.